The Storm
by ninag95
Summary: Soma is stuck for the night at Erina's mansion thanks to a massive storm.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: Hi guys, this is my first time writing literally anything fiction outside of a high school English class so be gentle lol I just had an idea for a story and couldn't get it out of my head; it seems like writing it down is the only way to make it stop! Anyways, there are a few logistical mistakes like it's their third year but there are certain characters that should have graduated. All I can say is, my bad. Lol that was just poor planning on my part and I apologize if that takes away from the story. Without further ado, please enjoy!**

* * *

"Can't this thing go any faster?!" Erina Nakiri screamed into Soma's ear. The heavy rain was coming down in buckets and she was soaked through her clothes.

"Uh, not unless you want us to crash and die!" Soma retorted over his shoulder as he maintained their speed on his bike, which was already going dangerously past the speed limit. The bike revved along the path, cutting through the giant puddles, causing them to splash in every direction.

As soon as they pulled up to her mansion, they whipped off their helmets and dashed to the door. Slamming the door behind her dripping wet, Erina exclaimed, "This is all your fault! If you had done your Elite Ten Council work for once, we wouldn't have had to stay at school so late waiting for you to finish it!" Her uniform and golden hair were soaking the floor beneath her and she felt chilled to the bone. The rain was making her button-down blouse and skirt cling to her skin uncomfortably and it was taking all her self-control not to strip right there in the foyer.

Soma sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, saying "Yeah you're right, Nakiri, my bad! I didn't think you'd wait for me to finish it though! But in my defense, you could've left a long time ago. I told you the storm was going to get bad! Guess you really care about me, huh?" He grinned at her, peeling off his wet jacket and handing it to the butler that approached them.

Erina flushed, "You idiot, I couldn't care less about you getting caught in the storm. I just knew if you didn't finish your paperwork by tonight, I'd end up being the one to do it."

Sanzaemon Nakiri, Erina's grandfather and Director of Tōtsuki, entered the grand hall and approached them. "Finally, you're home! I was about to call the school to locate you! The storm is getting terrible; it's a good thing Soma brought you home as soon as he did. Thank you, young man."

Soma merely smiled at Erina's irritated look and said, "No problem, Gramps! I don't mind giving Nakiri rides when she needs them. Anyways, I should really be heading back to Polar Star now!" He turned to face the door but was stopped by a giant hand.

Senzaemon gripped Soma's shoulder, effectively locking the boy in place. "Oh no, you can't possibly drive back in these conditions. The roads are completely flooded and will most likely stay that way until the morning. You will stay here for the night and return home tomorrow when it is safe to drive."

"But Grandfather—", Erina began frustratedly.

"Sweetheart, look outside and tell me it is safe for him to return to his dorm", the old man challenged.

Erina turned to look out the window. It really was a horrible storm. The torrential downpour made it impossible to see more than a few feet in front of her. She could barely make out the way the wind was forcibly bending whole trees and branches were flying off like they were made of nothing. The giant crack of thunder and lightning that followed echoed through the mansion, only further confirming the perilous conditions outside. It was honestly a miracle they made it in one piece.

She faced Soma. "Fine, just for the night. We will have a spare bedroom made up for you at once. Don't worry about your bike, someone will move that into a garage."

"Excellent! Now, both of you need to change out of those wet clothes if you want to avoid getting sick. If you'll excuse me, I have other matters regarding Tōtsuki to attend to." And with that, Sanzaemon Nakiri excused himself back to his office.

Soma followed Erina back to her room, which took a surprisingly long amount of time.

"Damn, Nakiri. I always forget how big this place is! A fitting castle for such a princess," he winked.

Erina scoffed, "Of course. You can't expect us to entertain important guests from all around the world in anything less than magnificent." She stopped in front of her bedroom door. "Because your room isn't ready yet, you can take a shower in my room. Do not, under any circumstances, touch anything besides the knob on the door, the shower handle, and the soap. And if you ever tell anyone I let you use my bathroom, that storm outside will be like a walk through the park compared to the hell you'll get from me."

Soma laughed, "Geez, I get it, chill out! I'm not going to do anything weird. I just need to get out of these clothes, I'm freezing." Erina nodded, agreeing. "Oh wait, what am I going to change into after?" Soma asked.

"Shit, I didn't think about that…" Erina stopped to think for a second and said, "I'm sure Kurokiba wouldn't mind if you used some of his clothes. I'll go stop by Alice's room and ask her if you can borrow some. They might be a little big on you though." She smirked, thinking of how muscular Ryo was in comparison to Soma. It would be funny to see him swimming in those clothes.

"Hey, he's not that much bigger! We work out together, you know?" Soma answered, unable to hide the slight blush on his cheeks from her poking fun at him. "But yeah, that would be great if you could ask him. Thanks." He shut the door behind him and walked off to the giant bathroom to bathe.

* * *

Erina knocked on Alice's door and waited. She knew no matter how she phrased the following words, Alice would take them out of context.

"My dear cousin, what a surprise! And all wet, what happened to you?" Red eyes shimmered mischieviously back at cold amethyst ones.

Erina could see Ryo in the back of her room, lifting weights. "Hey," he mumbled apathetically, as he always did when he wasn't wearing his red bandana.

"We got caught in the storm and I haven't had a chance to change yet," Erina stated.

"Oh, did Hishoko walk home with you or something? Where is she?" Alice glanced around the hall, expecting to see Erina's pink haired assistant tagging along behind her as she usually did.

"Uh, no not exactly. Yukihira gave me a ride from school after taking YEARS to finish his Elite Ten paperwork and Grandfather says he can't go back to his dorm tonight since the storm flooded all the roads."

Alice smiled like the Cheshire cat at this statement. _This could be fun_ , she thought. "Poor Yukirhira-kun, what a predicament he's gotten himself into. Thankfully he has you to look after him," she finished innocently.

Erina growled, "I don't know what you mean by that, since if it were up to me, he would not be staying the night. Anyways, the reason I came was to ask if he could borrow some of Kurokiba's clothes. He's showering now and won't have anything to change into." She blushed deeply as she finished the last part of her sentence, trying her best to hide it by pushing past Alice and walking into the room.

"Sure," Ryo muttered. "Just go in my room and take anything."

"Thanks." Erina looked at the weights in Ryo's hand. "Do you and Yukihira really go to the gym together?" She asked absentmindedly.

"Yeah, we go with Hayama pretty frequently. Sometimes we'll play basketball pickup games and stuff with the Aldini brothers."

"I see." And with that, she left the room, heading towards Ryo's to get her arch nemesis some suitable clothing.

Soma had just finished up his hot shower when he heard soft knocking on the bathroom door. He wrapped a towel around his lower half and opened the door a crack. Steam from the bathroom escaped through to the main bedroom.

"Uh, I brought you some clothes." Erina shoved the clothing through the crack in the door, trying her best to avoid any sort of eye contact with the redhead.

Soma smiled brightly, "Thanks! Perfect timing too!" He opened the door wider just for a second to grab the clothes, but that was enough for Erina to see his shirtless and in her opinion, well formed, abs and chest. She muttered something about modesty and quickly turned around after making sure he had the clothes.

After a few moments, Soma came out of the bathroom fully dressed in grey sweatpants and a white cotton shirt. It looked like something he would have worn normally, as neither boy had a particularly unique sense of style. Cooking, sure. Soma and Ryo both had their own flair and individualistic way of cooking and presenting each dish in a way that was uniquely theirs; but style? Hell no.

Surprisingly enough, the clothes fit well. Since Soma usually wore a jacket whenever he was with Erina, she never really noticed how toned his arms or shoulders were. It really caught her off guard and she couldn't help but stare a little. It threw her off even thinking these thoughts! Why did she care what he looked like? She hated him!

"Okay, your room is prepared; it's the one across the hall. My duty as your host is officially over. Please get out of my room so I can shower. Goodnight, Yukihira." The golden-haired beauty essentially shoved her classmate out of her bedroom and slammed the door.

Soma chuckled to himself, thinking of how even a year ago, she would have left him out in the rain. _People really can change!_

Soma wandered the halls, looking for something to do when he ran into Alice and Ryo.

"Yukihira! Just the man I was looking for," Alice purred. The white-haired vixen was smiling playfully, as she usually did. "We were wondering if you wanted to join us for a movie? This weather just makes you want to curl up and relax, doesn't it, Ryo?" Ryo grunted in agreement.

Soma nodded, "Sounds like a plan! I'll let Nakiri know what we're doing. Although she made it sound like she wanted to be alone tonight…" Soma trailed off.

"Nonsense, Erina loves movies! She'll agree, don't worry. Meet us in say, half an hour in the media room?" Alice asked, conspiratorially.

"Alright, see you then!" Soma gave them a thumbs up and started back in the direction he came.

Once he was out of sight, Ryo turned to Alice. "My lady, why are you meddling in other people's affairs again? Especially your cousin's. You know she hates that."

Alice replied, "She'll thank me one day. She can try as hard as she wants to deny it, but I know something's going on there and I'm going to help her realize it!" She smiled at Ryo coyly and grabbed his wrist. "Come on, we have to pick the perfect movie to help them fall in love!"


	2. Chapter 2

Erina let the hot water stream down her face and body. She could feel the cold numbness leaving her body as she shampooed her long hair.

 _Stupid Yukihira. It's his fault we got caught in that storm and now he's here for the night! Why did I even stay late with him? He was right, I could've just left… What is going on with me these days?_

Lately, she really didn't understand her feelings towards that irritating ball of energy. It was like everything he did irritated her, but not for any particular reason. What she did know was that all this pent-up frustration towards him was not good; it was affecting her judgement far too often. She found herself reacting in ways unbecoming of a person of her station. She knew she would not have stayed with anyone else that late to finish their paperwork besides Hisako. In the end, she decided to chalk it up to his lack of responsibility and maturity making it impossible for him to trust, therefore she had to stay and make sure he finished. Yes, that made sense.

The purple eyed girl finished rinsing off her hair and body and quickly dried herself off. She threw on a pair of cute pink pajama shorts with the matching shirt. It didn't matter that these were particularly short as she had no plans to leave her room that night.

*Knock knock knock*

"Come in," Erina called out, expecting it to be one of the maids or maybe even Hisako.

Soma entered and grinned when he saw her, joking "Cute PJs, Nakiri."

The pillow she threw at him narrowly missed his head as he ducked.

"Whoa, so hostile! I'm only kidd-", Soma sneezed, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"Yukihira, it looks like you're going to catch a cold. Why haven't you dried your hair yet?" Erina chastised him, not unlike a mother would.

"Ah, it's fine. I always leave it out to airdry." Soma replied nonchalantly. He sneezed again. Erina went to her bathroom and came back holding out her hairdryer to him. "Here," she said, passing it to him.

"Seriously? I'll be fine, I literally never dry my hair."

"Yeah and you were driving in the freezing cold wind and rain for well over 10 minutes. I should know, I was there. Dry your hair before you get sick."

Soma tilted his head and smiled, "Aw, you really do care about me. I knew we were friends, Nakiri."

Erina blushed in the same way she always did whenever he was involved. "Idiot, if you catch a cold that means I'll have to cover more for you at meetings. If you don't want to dry it, then I will."

She strong-armed him into her vanity chair and turned on the hairdryer. _Why do I care if he gets sick? What the hell is wrong with me?_

She began combing through his surprisingly soft red hair while gently blow drying his hair. The combination of her fingers running through his scalp and the warm air from the dryer suddenly made Soma very sleepy and relaxed. "That feels really good, Nakiri", he murmured, allowing himself to shut his eyes and enjoy the sensation.

She took the opportunity while his eyes were closed to admire his features. When he wasn't saying something moronic, he was actually kind of handsome. She liked his golden eyes, hidden now behind his lids, she liked his flaming red hair which always made him easy to pick out of a crowd. She even liked the scar on his left eyebrow which gave him a bad boy kind of vibe. However, Erina would absolutely never admit that out loud. Even admitting it to herself was difficult! And while she knew she was free to safely express herself within the confines of her mind, she couldn't fight the feeling that Soma always knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Alright, all dry." Erina turned the hairdryer off and gave him a small, polite smile. "Now you won't get sick and shirk your responsibilities, right?" _Ah, there she is,_ Soma thought.

He chuckled, "Thanks. I'll do my best not to leave you with all my paperwork in the future after all you've done for me tonight. Hey, were you going to dry your hair too?" He grabbed the hairdryer from her hand and smoothly dropped her in the chair.

"Wait, Yukihira, I can do it myself!" Erina exclaimed, as he began fiddling with the controls on the dryer. Turning it on and standing behind her chair, he smiled and said, "No way, you did me a favor so I'm just returning it!"

"This is highly inappropriate!"

"What? Why? You did it for me." Soma pointed out innocently, looking confused.

"Uhh—", she stuttered. _Well, shit._

"Relax, if anything it feels kind of good when someone else does it for you. Think of it as a small way to make up for making you stay late at school today." He began running his fingers through her long, golden locks and drying her hair.

Erina was shocked, to say the least. She couldn't believe this was happening, or more specifically, that she was letting this happen. But he was right, she did it for him so what excuse could she possibly give for him to not do it for her? So she decided to sit back and just let him. It was almost adorable watching him fumble with the hairdryer. He was right though, it did feel good to have someone else do it. She sighed and relaxed back into the chair, letting him massage her scalp with his fingers.

"Damn, Nakiri, you've got a lot of hair! How long does it take you to do this?" He chuckled, grabbing a chunk and drying it off at the ends.

She smiled serenely, "I know, it really is a hassle. Sometimes I think about just cutting it all off."

"No, don't do that. You look amazing with long hair." Soma began, before continuing faster, "Not that you wouldn't look good with short hair, too! I mean, you'd look good in anything." He finished, slightly pink in the cheeks at his honesty. Normally Soma didn't care too much about how frank he was and how tactless he could be, but this time seemed different.

Erina blushed before recovering in her usual haughty tone, "I'll do whatever I want, thank you very much." Secretly, she was pleased he liked her hair and made a resolution to never cut it.

Soma continued drying her hair and thought to himself, _This is kind of weird. I don't think I'd do this for anyone. Maybe Tadokoro? Since she's like a sister to me, I'd do anything for her. Yeah this must be like that!_

He also had the chance to discreetly glance at Erina as she continued to stare down at her hands, not wanting to look up and meet his eyes. She really was beautiful. Her giant purple eyes contrasted so perfectly with her golden hair and fair skin. Her elegant, perfectly proportioned features along with the variety of faces she made when she felt any emotion were the perfect combination of cute and sexy. And those adorable sideburns. Soma could see why she was the most sought-after girl at Tōtsuki. Half the time he called her a princess, he wasn't joking.

Seeing her like this, with her eyelids half shut, lips parted and her face blushing, stirred something inside of him. He had to admit, she looked hot. He suddenly felt overwhelmed with the urge to gently pull her hair at the base, just to see how she would react. Of course he didn't- that's not the kind of thing friends do. That's not what _any_ sane person does. So what the hell kind of emotion was this? What brought on this feeling in the pit of his stomach? Soma realized his feelings for this girl might be a little more complicated than his relationship with Megumi.

He finished drying the rest of her hair, forcing those strange and foreign thoughts to the back of his mind. She thanked him meekly and put the hairdryer back in her bathroom.

Erina was still at a loss for words. She hated that she loved the feeling of his skin on hers and that she missed it when he took his hands away from her body. This was getting ridiculous. No more contact with this man tonight.

"Oh yeah, I forgot the whole reason I came by here was to see if you wanted to watch a movie with me, Alice and Kurokiba. I ran into them while you were taking your shower." Soma commented.

"Okay, a movie sounds nice," Erina said out loud, while internally screaming _WHAT AM I DOING?!_

* * *

They made their way towards the media room, running into the pair they were joining in the hall.

"Erina! I see you've decided to join us for movie night!" Alice squealed cheerfully. "Ryo and I are going to set up the movie if you guys want to grab snacks?"

"Sounds good. By the way, what movie are we watching?" Erina asked her cousin.

"Oh, it's a romance", Alice winked.

 _Of course, leave it to Alice to plan something like this_ , Erina thought. Alice loved watching romance movies, as she felt the knowledge gained there was somehow practical in real life. She also loved boasting about the fact that she knew more about romance than her cousin did, which true or not, was still annoying.

"Ughhh, do we actually have to watch a romance movie?" Soma complained as he and Erina made their way to the kitchen.

"For once, I actually agree with you, Yukihira. We shouldn't be wasting our time watching this stuff or even thinking about romance! We are chefs first and have to focus all our time and energy on that!" She felt particularly strongly about this recently, since her feelings for the man next to her were getting too confusing to analyze. It was best to just completely ignore them and focus on things that made sense, like cooking.

"Yeah seriously! We're still pretty young to be thinking about that kind of stuff in my opinion…" Soma commented. He was also shaken by his recent feelings towards Erina and was glad to see she shared his sentiments about concentrating on what mattered.

Erina glanced at him before remarking, "Hmm, well for someone who says that, you sure do flirt a lot with all the girls at school." She tried her best to make it seem casual but even she could tell there was ice in her voice.

Soma laughed, "Jealous, Nakiri? Since when do you keep track of everyone I talk to?"

They entered the kitchen and began combing the pantry for snacks and drinks to bring back.

The blonde glared at Soma and spat out, "I do not concern myself with who you interact with. It's just extremely obvious since you have no sense of propriety!"

The redhead chucked in response, "I really don't know what you mean by 'flirting'. I definitely joke around a lot with my friends but that's just my personality. The only person I purposely tease, is, uh.. well…you…" He looked away quickly, pretending to mull over the choice between chocolate chip cookies and oreos.

Erina froze. "Why would you do that?"

Soma responded, "I don't know, you're just really easy to tease and your reactions are always so funny to watch. I can't help it," he added an apologetic grin, which was extremely charming, much to Erina's chagrin. "Besides," he added, "you're not really one to talk. Every guy in school wants to go out with you. I can see it when we walk in the halls together."

 _Was that a hint of irritation in his voice? No, I must've imagined it. Get it together, Erina!_

"That's completely different. They aren't flirting with me then. They're usually too intimidated to approach me, and if they do have the courage to do so, it's nothing more than polite small talk." Soma thought she sounded disappointed, and she was. All her life, she had just wanted to be a normal girl who hung out with friends (which included guy friends). However, she was not ready for Yukihira to see that side of her, so she hid her disappointment by following up her statement with, "And that is what is appropriate! Some people still know how to speak to people above their station!" Erina crossed her arms over her chest and pouted in her signature fashion.

Soma glanced thoughtfully at her. "What are you going to do when you meet a guy someday who doesn't know who you are? How will you communicate with a mere commoner like him?" He joked, his eyes twinkling.

"Why would I waste my time dating someone who doesn't know my family's name? If he's a chef worth knowing, he would know who I am."

"No, I don't mean you have to marry the guy. I just mean how are you ever going to have normal conversations with people around the world if you've never had the chance to just be a normal person? I don't know if that makes any sense to you, so you can ignore me if it doesn't," Soma added as an afterthought.

Once again, he had used his uncanny ability to read her thoughts. How did he know she wanted to be treated like a normal person? Was it that obvious?

"I understand what you're saying. Yes, it's unfortunate that during my time here at school I won't really be able to practice those particular social skills, so I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." Erina admitted.

"Well," Soma grinned slyly, "That's why you have me. You're constantly complaining that I don't 'respect your station', right? Just talk with me more and you'll be able to hold your own in any conversation with anyone." He gave her a brilliant smile, adding, "Plus, this just gives me more of an excuse to flirt with you."

Erina's heart skipped a beat and she blushed deep red. "Sh-shut up, you idiot! We can continue talking like friends and that's it. Don't get the wrong idea."

Soma burst out laughing, "Oh my God, see this is that reaction I was talking about! It really is the cutest." He said, strolling out of the kitchen with his arms full of snacks.

Erina could do nothing but turn and follow him, tongue-tied once again.


	3. Chapter 3

The media room was nothing short of incredible. The slanted, dark red room with dim lights evenly spaced around its perimeter gave off the impression of an actual movie theater. Soma could see the giant wall-to-wall plasma screen TV on the opposite end of the entrance as he made his way down the steps. Instead of individual seats like in a theater, there were three medium-sized couches, one in front of the other, each on a slightly higher level to not have an obstructed view. The couches were adorned with pillows and soft blankets; _it was clear the girls spent a lot of time here_ , Soma noted.

Alice and Ryo were already seated on the first couch. While there was room for all four of them, Alice had spread out completely so that Erina and Soma were forced to sit on the couch behind her. "Yay, we can finally start the movie!" Alice clapped her hands merrily and reached for the snacks the other pair had brought with them.

Ryo glanced at the food in her hands and said, "You call this a snack? I can make stuff better than this crap." He began untying his red bandana, indicating his terrifying alter ego was about to make an appearance. Soma followed suit with his white cloth, challenging, "Don't insult me, these were just what we found in the kitchen. I bet I could make a better snack than you!" Before either boy could put on their signature bandanas though, the Nakiri heiresses exclaimed loudly and began hitting them, forcing the guys to put them back on their arms.

"Now is not the time for a Shokugeki! Right now, I just want a fun night in with my friends. You can challenge each other after!" Alice groaned frustratedly. "Agreed," yelled Erina, still hitting Soma on the arm. She was not in the mood to have food shoved down her throat, as she knew would happen whenever Soma cooked something. Even if that something _was_ delicious. She decided a long time ago that she would never let him know how talented he actually was. His ego was already far too big. It was annoying the way his food was able to break down her ideals of perfect cooking, just like his father had been able to all those years ago.

With a rebellious glint in his eyes, Soma conceded, "Fine, we'll go after if we're not too tired from the movie. You're on, Kurokiba!"

Ryo grunted in challenge, already fading back to his indifferent self.

The girls pulled the levers on the side of the couches, turning the couches into recliners. With that, the movie began. It was an Indie romance movie Alice had heard good things about, but the other three had never heard of it.

Now that she had settled in to the plush couch cushions, Erina noticed how close Soma was sitting. He had plenty of space on the couch to spread out, so why was he sitting only a few inches away? His arm was barely touching hers, but the skin-on-skin contact felt like an electric shock was tingling throughout her body. She peeked over at him to see if he aware of their close proximity, but he looked perfectly calm and collected. In fact, he acted as though he had no idea they were sharing such an intimate touch. This irked Erina more than she cared to admit. _This idiot has no sense of personal space._

She doubled down on her efforts to watch the movie. _Alright so this is the main character? Ugh, what a corny line_ , she thought as she watched the girl on the screen get hit on by a stranger.

Just then, Soma leaned in, gently moving her silky hair away from the side of her face. He let his lips barely graze her ear, as he whispered, "See? At least I'm not as bad as that guy." His warm breath tickled her ear and neck in a way that left the hair on the back of her neck standing. She was glad the lights had been turned off, otherwise the blush on her face would have been evident.

Soma could smell Erina's lavender-scented hair when he leaned in. He knew it was lavender, since he had seen the bottles of shampoo and conditioner in her shower. He had even used a little himself. But it smelled a million times more intoxicating on her, as the lavender mixed with her own body's natural scent. He let her soft hair slip through his fingers as he leaned back into his seat.

He noticed she had pulled the blanket closer to her and she was slightly trembling. "Are you cold?" He asked genuinely, coming even closer to her. The gap between them was gone now.

"I'm fine," she snapped. Then, lowering her voice after receiving a "Shh!" from Alice, she turned and whispered in his ear, "And no, you're not as bad as that guy. It's definitely in your best interest not to act like him. I can only imagine how Megumi-chan would react if you laid that line on her." Erina thought of the sweet blue-haired girl she had come to befriend. She smiled thinking of how flustered Megumi would become if some guy hit on her so aggressively, all while waving her arms wildly and most likely fainting. Then she stopped smiling thinking about if it were Soma who had hit on her; she thought of how well-received the line would be since she knew the innocent girl had a crush on her dormmate since they were first years. This frustrating thought was interrupted by Soma whispering back, "Oh man, poor Tadokoro! That would be hilarious. I would literally kill the guy for talking to her like that though. She's like my sister so I feel kinda protective of her, ya know?"

Relief washed over Erina, followed by more confusion. She always thought they would have been the "perfect couple", with both coming from small towns and being best friends. If she was only like his sister, what type of girl was he looking for? And why did she care so much?!

They continued watching the movie in silence for a few more moments. She could still feel the barely-there touch of his arm on hers, and with their legs up on the recliner, she felt the soft fabric from his sweatpants touching her bare thigh. She found it impossible to concentrate on the movie.

They were 45 minutes into it and she still could not name a single, damn character.

Remembering there were snacks, she reached for the popcorn at the same time as he did. Their fingers touched in the bowl, and Erina immediately snatched her hand back as if she'd been burned. Some of the popcorn flew out of the bowl and landed all over the couch. Soma gave her a small confused smile and began picking up the pieces around her. Erina could feel his arms reaching around her as he bent to pick up the popcorn on her other side and she could barely contain her breathing as his face passed closely by hers. When he began picking up the pieces in her lap, she could feel the weight of his fingers on her thighs through the blanket. Why did her head feel so fuzzy all of the sudden?

She began to turn to apologize for making a mess, when his face turned at the same time. They were so close, noses almost touching. She was unable to tear herself away from looking directly into his gorgeous, amber eyes. Both unblinking, feeling their warm breath intermingling in the short distance between their lips.

Soma was frozen. That feeling in the pit of his stomach had grown now and spread everywhere. He finally understood that deep down, he had wanted this to happen. Erina was the type of girl his father had told him was the secret to becoming a great chef. He had unconsciously been chasing after her, trying so hard to get her approval on his dishes, and by extension, himself. He never would have dreamed that Erina would reciprocate his feelings though, and he hadn't spend much time thinking about what could happen between them.

 _Does she feel the same way? She isn't moving… Maybe she's just frozen like I am?_

Soma slowly leaned in a little closer, tilting his head down, so that their foreheads and noses brushed together. Erina instinctively closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his face tickle hers. Their lips just barely began to touch…

The tension between them was suddenly released as Kurokiba shuffled in his seat, grabbing ahold of Alice's small body. She had fallen asleep! Without her to force him to watch the movie, there was no reason for him to continue watching this sappy love story. Soma and Erina jumped back further than they had been before the start of the movie and stared awkwardly in opposite directions. Ryo stood up with the white-haired girl in his arms and said "My lady has fallen asleep. I'm going to take her to her room, so you guys can change the movie if you want." He tossed the remote at Soma, who caught it wordlessly.

Ryo left the two teens on the couch, unaware of what had almost transpired right behind him.

* * *

Neither one knew what to say. It was so incredibly uncomfortable that they chose to just let the movie continue playing instead of having to talk to each other to decide what to do next.

When the credits started rolling, Soma and Erina got off the couch, still avoiding eye contact. Once they were in the hall, Soma began to clear his throat in an attempt to defuse the situation. "So, umm… That was a good movie, I guess." He started to put his hands in his pockets as he always did when he realized he didn't have his jacket. He was still wearing Kurokiba's clothes. "Oh hey, when do you think my clothes will be dry?" He asked, thankful for something to talk about other than anything related to that movie.

Regaining her composure, Erina answered, "They should be ready now actually. I'll take you to the laundry room and you can grab them."

He followed her down the halls of the dark mansion, as it was now nearly 11 pm. The only light came from the moon outside. The sounds of the violent storm were still going strong as well. Rain beat against the walls of the estate furiously, and Soma could see from the window that their pool was overflowing from the influx of water. Watching her walk in front of him with her long straight hair swishing back and forth, Soma couldn't help but feel disappointed at missing his chance a few moments ago.

Erina led him to a noisy room near the end of the hall and they entered. Inside were multiple washing and drying machines going at once. This made sense since a large number of staff were needed to keep this household running. Soma could see his clothes neatly folded on top of a dryer in the back.

Suddenly, a massive bolt of white hot lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the whole room. The threatening boom of thunder followed- so loud it seemed to shake the room. Erina yelped, jumping closer to Soma. He laughed and wrapped his arms around the shaking girl, unfazed by the treacherous storm outside.

"What's wrong, Nakiri? Scared of a little thunder?" He asked playfully, still maintaining his grip around her body.

Erina huffed and looked embarrassed. "No! Nothing like that! It just caught me off guard is all. I'm fine. You may release me." She stared up at him expectantly. A moment passed before he answered.

"No." He grinned, giving her a little squeeze. He had already missed his chance earlier during the movie, and he sure as hell wasn't going to squander this opportunity when she had literally jumped into his arms.

Erina gaped at him, eyes wide. How dare this commoner defy her direct orders! Her fear from the storm turned to rage, and then back to fear as she saw something in his eyes. Determination and… mischief? But what was she afraid of? It wasn't the same fear she felt whenever her father was around, which was the only real fear she had ever experienced in her life. This was a different kind of fear. She was afraid of the potential she had to fall in love with this boy who could end up breaking her heart. She wasn't sure she wanted to take the chance.

"Why not?" She managed to whisper as she stared at his perfect lips. She could feel the warmth from his strong arms radiating through her thin pajama shirt.

The rumbling of the laundry machines and the ferocious storm clashing outside were nothing compared to the feelings tumbling around inside her at this moment.

She could only watch helplessly as he moved one hand from her back up to the side of her face. He gently caressed her soft cheek and tucked her hair behind her ear. Soma stared into those beautiful amethyst eyes and knew he was in love with her.

"You know why not," his voice low and husky.

He leaned in and kissed her.

The kiss was tender and sweet. Although there was so much pent-up sexual tension between the two, Soma knew it was probably her first kiss and he didn't want to scare her off. He softly pressed his lips against hers, kissing her slowly and gently.

Erina couldn't breathe. She tried her best to relax into it and mimic his lip movements. His lips were smooth, and they fit so perfectly with hers. After a few moments of chaste kissing, Soma pulled away, smiling and sighing. He lovingly rubbed his nose against hers. She smiled at this cute gesture, feeling much better now that she knew where they stood with each other.

"Should we head back now?" He asked, feeling like he shouldn't push his luck when it came to the Tōtsuki princess.

Erina, feeling a little bolder now that she had a chance to catch her breath, murmured "Not yet." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed up on her toes to kiss him, this time harder than anything she had done before.

Soma was taken by surprise, but kissed back just as hard, eventually letting the hand that had been on her cheek move to the back of her head. After a few moments of breathless kissing, he tangled his hands in her hair and gently pulled. Erina quietly moaned into his mouth, arching her chest forward so that their bodies were pressed together even closer than before.

Erina felt that same fuzziness returning to her head as his hands feverishly wandered over her body and thin clothing. An odd tingling sensation came over her when his hand brushed past her breast. She slipped her hands under his shirt and felt the muscles in his back. They continued passionately kissing and letting their hands explore each other's bodies, only separating a few times for some much-needed air. Soma leaned down and picked up the blonde, still not breaking their steamy kiss. He carried her over to a washing machine and sat her down.

At this height, Soma set his sights on his next target. He placed sweet kisses on her cheek and ear before settling on her neck. Erina tried to stifle her moan, but her skin was so sensitive, and his soft kisses and licks were too much. His warm breath on her neck along with the tickling feeling from his hair were driving her crazy. She brought him closer by wrapping her legs around his body and grinding against his lower half, while she tangled her hands in his hair, pulling it like he had done to her. He groaned against her neck at the double attack, and the sudden exhale of his hot breath turned her on even more. She forced his face back to meet hers, and he willingly obliged. Soma ran his tongue over her bottom lip, and she parted her lips, granting him access. They slowly explored each other's mouths- licking, biting, and sucking anything they could without having to pull away for too long.

Soma had been running his hands under Erina's shirt to get her used to his touch and he finally couldn't take anymore. He stopped the movement of his hands and broke the kiss. "Erina," he panted, "Take your shirt off."

With some hesitation, she pulled the pink cotton shirt off. She sat there exposed in her white lacy bra while Soma stared for what seemed like ages. He let his eyes wander down her entire body. He really couldn't believe his luck; this girl was a literal goddess. Her impressive cleavage only further emphasized her tiny waist. Her toned thighs wrapped around his lower half in those tiny shorts were making him lose control with every passing second. Her beautiful long hair, now messy and tousled, was trailing down the sides of her body. And those eyes. Soma loved looking into her violet cat-like eyes.

Erina was feeling a little self-conscious from watching Soma ogle her, expressionless. That self-consciousness went away however, when she heard a "Holy shit" escape from under his breath and he went right back to kissing her forcefully. He bucked his hips against her groin, as his lips went to the space between her neck and collar bone. His left hand made its way to her breast, and he slowly started feeling her up. Erina couldn't help but let out a loud moan at all the different sensations. Luckily, the sound from the laundry machines and the storm was enough to cover any noises they made.

She quickly took his shirt off too and proceeded to kiss down his neck while caressing his chest with her hands. His skin was burning beneath her lips, and she took the opportunity to cool him down by giving him a few licks and blowing cool air on his skin. Soma hissed in delight, and he let his right hand wander up her thigh towards her shorts.

Something about feeling of his hand on her upper thigh made Erina's heart start beating even faster, and the heat she felt in her body started to concentrate between her legs. She was glad she was sitting, otherwise she surely would have collapsed by now.

Panting heavily, Erina could feel _something_ down where she had wrapped her legs around Soma. Through her thin cotton shorts, she felt his bulge inside his sweatpants. It scared her a little, but also excited her to think he wanted her this badly. The vibration from the washing machine below her and Soma grinding against her was like nothing she had ever felt before. Her mind was getting cloudy as she felt Soma's hand slip inside her shorts.

"Uhh wait…" She started, breaking away from the kiss.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, I just got carried away," Soma's face was as red as his hair. He couldn't believe he had tried to go that far with her.

Erina grabbed his face with her hands and stared into his eyes. "Listen, I want this. You didn't do anything wrong. I just don't think it should happen here…" She gestured towards the laundry machines, dirty clothes in the corner, and unlocked door.

Soma blinked. "Oh, right. Guess we got a little carried away there, huh?" He winked at her and picked her up off the washing machine.

"So, your room or mine?"


	4. Chapter 4

Erina dragged Soma behind her and locked her bedroom door. Giggling, they continued kissing until Soma saw the bed.

He knew he liked Erina-hell, he thought he even loved her. But he had no idea how deeply she felt about him and taking this next step together would be something they would never be able to undo.

"Erina," he breathed after pulling himself away, "I need to ask you something. What are we exactly?"

Erina looked conflicted. She ran a hand through her hair, hesitantly saying "I don't know. I do like you, Soma, but I do not think it would be wise for the first and second seat to be seen dating. Every decision my family or I make that affects you in the slightest would be scrutinized under a microscope to check for unfair treatment."

Soma nodded solemnly, "Yeah, I can see that. But if they really doubt my skills they can just challenge me in a Shokugeki!"

"Of course everyone at Tōtsuki knows you earned your seat on your own merit, but for the people who haven't heard of you? It might seem a little suspicious. There's a lot of political behind-the-scenes stuff that I don't want your future to be affected by."

Soma watched her shuffle awkwardly and suspected there was another reason she didn't want to date him. "Are you embarrassed of me, Nakiri?" His amber eyes burned with anger and he couldn't hide the hurt in his voice. Every single day, he had worked his ass off to grow as a chef and he knew he had progressed leaps and bounds ahead of every other student and his former self. The thought that Erina still didn't see him as a first-rate chef solely because of his background enraged him.

Erina's eyes widened, "Soma, no! That is not why!" She reached out to him but he flinched away from her touch.

Soma turned so that his back was facing her. "Don't lie to me. I know how important that pedigree is to you. Your family would be humiliated if the God's Tongue was dating a diner boy like me." His tone was cold and mocking.

Erina groaned and circled him to look him in the eyes. She needed him to understand this. "I know we got off on the wrong foot, mainly because I was a bitch to you and still under my father's influence, but I am not that same person. I've grown now because of everyone at Polar Star but **especially you**! You saved me. I can't thank you enough. You have to believe that I would be proud to be your girlfriend!" Erina started softly crying; she couldn't help it. The thought of Soma hating her for her past self was too much to handle.

Soma released the breath he didn't know he had been holding in and wiped a tear away from her soft cheek. His face visibly relaxed after witnessing her sudden burst of honesty. "Okay, I believe you. But I know there's another reason you don't want to date me. I can see it on your face."

Erina turned her face away, unable to fight the guilt that was rising in her. "Everyone at school puts me on this untouchable pedestal with these crazy expectations and if I'm seen doing normal things, like holding your hand… I'm afraid that if I'm treated like a normal girl, I'll become one. And normal isn't good enough for me. Soma, I do like you. However, I can't afford any distractions right now. Cooking is and always will be my number one priority."

Soma was at a loss. He tilted his head to the side, repeating, "Everyone would think you were normal because you were in a relationship? I don't get it. And I wouldn't have to be a distraction! We can help each other grow! Erina, you are the reason I've progressed so much as a chef. I know we could-"

Erina cut him off, "I know it sounds crazy but if I can't shake the feeling that if I let my guard down even a little bit, I'll fail. And failure is unacceptable." Her voice began to falter, betraying the emotionless façade she had tried to put on. "Besides, the idea of showing this vulnerable side of me to everyone I know is terrifying."

Soma kissed her forehead, starting to follow the conversation. "Yeah, of course being vulnerable and showing your emotions to the world is scary. But Erina, if you don't, you'll be the "Ice Queen" forever. No one will ever see the real you…and I think that might be worse."

Erina nodded, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. She allowed herself this small comfort before declaring, "You're probably right. But for right now, I know this is the decision that's right for me."

Soma dropped his head down so that his chin rested on her head and he hugged her tighter. He understood where she was coming from, but that didn't make him feel any better. "I guess I understand. I also want you to know that I'm willing to wait for you. Seriously, as long as you need. I'm not going anywhere." She untucked her face from his chest and smiled at him. "Thanks, Yukihira. I'll keep that in mind."

Soma laughed awkwardly, "So on that note, I guess I'll be going to my room. Goodnight, Nakiri." As he turned to leave, he felt a slight tug on his shirt.

"Wait!" Erina had no idea why she was doing this. She supposed she just wanted to pretend for a little while longer that she could be an average girl. "Don't leave. Stay with me tonight, please? Not as my boyfriend or anything like that!" She added hurriedly, not wanting to get his hopes up for the second time tonight. "It's just… the storm! It's still raining really hard and I'm afraid!"

Soma tried his best to contain his happiness at her words. "Anything for you," he smiled.

* * *

Despite the loud thrashing wind and tumultuous claps of thunder, Erina and Soma slept better than they had in a long time.

Erina woke up early while it was still dark outside. The heavy rain was almost a comforting presence now that she was tucked away in Soma's protective embrace. She was still feeling conflicted about her eventful night with the boy next to her.

Her mind told her if she were to take a step back and relax, everything she had worked so hard to achieve would be lost. The God's Tongue couldn't just relax. She had an obligation to the cooking world and to her family.

Her heart wanted to be his girlfriend- she wanted to go out on dates with him and joke about the latest dumb meme and do all the things that regular couples do.

Her body… Ever since their incident a few hours ago, it was like every one of her nerves was amplified. Erina was somewhat familiar with the concept of arousal from when she dared to read some of her more scandalous romance mangas, but this was on a whole new level.

She could feel Soma's hot, steady breath on the back of her neck and his gentle exhales were sending shivers of delight rolling down her spine. One of his arms was under her pillow, while the other was strewn over her torso. His lower half was pressed tightly against hers, causing her pulse to rise. The feeling of being so physically close to someone was completely new to Erina, and she loved it. Every sensation this sleeping boy was unknowingly sending her way was working in perfect harmony. She unconsciously pressed her thighs together to stop the tingling sensation that had been growing ever since she had woken up and became aware of how close he was.

Soma moved a little in his sleep, drawing her even closer. His free arm had come closer to her chest, and she felt his light touch on her breasts. His lips were now barely grazing the back of her neck. It was practically damp from his sultry breath while Erina's mouth had gone dry, her breathing becoming erratic. _Just go back to sleep, just go back to sleep,_ she begged herself. _Why did I ask him to sleep here?!_ Being so close to him reminded her of earlier that night when they had been in the laundry room and her nipples grew hard at the memory. She bit her lip in frustration. This idiot even found ways to aggravate her in his sleep!

She couldn't help herself. She slowly lifted Soma's hand to cup her breast and he reflexively squeezed. She let out small whimpers of pleasure as he continued with her hand guiding his. But wait- what was that _down there_? She could feel his erection growing through his sweatpants and it was pressing against her-hard. _Was he awake? Does he know I moved his hand?!_

She waited a bit for a sign, but it never came. His steady breathing continued, indicating he was still heavily asleep. _He must be having a dirty dream, the pervert!_

She then mentally slapped herself for being a such a hypocrite.

Erina could feel him press harder into her from behind, while his fingers began lightly tracing her nipple. She exhaled sharply and pressed her ass back, unable to fight the feeling in her lower region anymore. She arched her breast into his hand to grant him easier access, and he took it.

Suddenly, she felt kisses on her neck. His once-steady breathing was now erratic like hers, hands moving faster and harder than before. He was awake.

Erina moaned softly and let him continue his attacks on her body while grinding her ass and legs against groin.

Soma's voice came out in rasps against her neck, "I'm sorry, I think I started when I was asleep…" He trailed off as he continued kissing her neck and letting his hand fall down to her waist, gripping it hard. "But now that I'm awake… I just can't stop. Look at how perfectly we fit together, Erina." As if to emphasize his point, he forcibly pressed his lower half against hers, causing her to moan loudly. The wetness between her legs was unbearable.

She finally turned around to face him and their faces crashed together, an instant battle erupting to see who would dominate. Hands fiercely gripping, nails scratching, lips biting, and heavy panting ensued. Shirts came off and Soma took the opportunity to bring his lips to her heaving breasts. Erina squirmed and moaned in pleasure, gripping his hair in an effort to release some tension.

Both teenagers were groaning and grinding against each other selfishly, using the other's body for their own pleasure. They were driven by pure lust and instinct. Their heads were too cloudy with desire to think straight. Just as it seemed they were going to cross that line…

* * *

*Knock knock knock*

Soma and Erina froze in her bed, staring at the door.

"Hello?" Asked the voice on the other side, sounding worried. "I know you're awake, it sounds like you're working out."

Erina screamed at Soma with her eyes, immediately grabbing him and shoving him in her bathroom. She called out, "Just a sec!" while she hurriedly changed into some workout clothes. Her bright pink blush, sweaty face, and tousled hair only supported the lie.

She opened the door to find Alice, sporting her usual coquettish smile. "Hey, what's up?" She tried to ask as nonchalantly as she could.

"Just wanted to let you know breakfast is ready! Do you usually work out in the mornings?" Alice peered inquisitively at her cousin.

"Uhh, no not usually but I guess I was just feeling a little restless this morning, you know." Erina tapped her fingers against her thigh restlessly, wanting Alice to leave her as soon as possible.

Alice smirked, "Ah I see. You wanted to look your best for Yukihira!" She laughed at Erina's face, which somehow managed to get even more red. "I'm just kidding, dear cousin. You know I love you!" She yelled while skipping down the hall towards the dining room.

When the door was safely closed, Soma poked his head out of the bathroom. Grinning, he said, "Aw, Nakiri, you wanted to look your best for me?" He avoided Erina's punches easily.

Soma reached for his shirt which thankfully had been hidden from Alice's sight and pulled it on. "I guess I'm gonna go take a quick shower in my room and make it look like I slept there." He then leaned in closely to Erina's ear and whispered, "Let's continue this later though."

Erina whisper-shouted as he left, "We most certainly will not!"

Soma came out his **very cold** shower and remembered to check his phone. _Wow, 23 missed messages!_

He had forgotten to tell his friends at the Polar Star dorms that he wouldn't be there. Megumi alone had sent 14 texts, hoping he was okay and urging him to let them know he was safe. He quickly responded "All good, stayed the night at the Nakiri mansion thx to the flood. See u later today." He quickly changed and met the rest of the Nakiris and Kurokiba in the dining hall for breakfast.

The meal was delicious, as to be expected from the most prestigious cooking family in the world. They had eggs benedict, which brought a smile to Soma's face as he remembered this was one of the dishes Erina served at the Friendship and Rapport Training Camp. He also thanked Sanzaemon Nakiri for letting him stay the night and offered to return the favor if the old man was ever in his hometown. The grandfather laughed heartily and agreed, shaking Soma's hand.

* * *

Erina walked Soma to the garage where his bike had been stored overnight.

"So…when can I see you again?" Soma smiled, taking her hands in his. "Tonight?"

"Yukihira, listen to me. This morning was a mistake. It will not happen again. We're just frien—You know what, scratch that. We're more like acquaintances." Erina tried her best to look intimidating and cold, but Soma could read her like a book at this point.

Soma just smirked at her, "Whatever you say, Nakiri. I know you enjoyed what happened between us just as much as I did."

Erina glared at him; partially because how dare he have the audacity to say such vulgar things, and partially because he was right.

Soma put on his helmet and kicked his bike to life. He shouted over the engine, "Oh by the way, I think a bunch of us were going to hang out tonight if you want to come! Hisako's going so I'll probably see you there!"

Erina couldn't deny the twinge of excitement she felt in her heart at the excuse of seeing him later. She cleared her throat, "Well if Hisako is going then I will accompany her."

Soma grinned and yelled, "Then it's a date!" before speeding off on his bike, leaving Erina yelling behind him, "No, it isn't!"


	5. Chapter 5

_Shit, this better work._

Soma only had a few hours to plan a group hangout. The words had just left his mouth when he had been leaving the mansion! He had just wanted an excuse to see her again, and he knew she wouldn't be keen on being alone yet. When Soma returned to his dorm, he gathered his friends around and proposed his idea of going to a local arcade/bar that had just opened in town. Luckily, the Polar Star kids were always down for a good time, as they were notorious partiers. Ryoko was especially excited to share her special batch of rice juice she had just fermented.

Soma also sent out a mass group text to the rest of his friends who didn't live in the same dorms. They all responded positively, and Soma was happy to see his plan had worked when Hayama said he would be bringing Hisako. _Thank God. If she didn't come, the whole plan would be a bust._

It turned out Hisako had also spent the night at Hayama's apartment, using the storm as the same excuse for staying over. Hisako and Hayama had been dating for a few months now and they were inseparable. Their calm and collected personalities made them the perfect match, and everyone now went to them for relationship advice.

Megumi had followed Soma back to his room and they'd been chatting about nothing in particular when Daigo and Shoji suddenly barged in.

"So," Daigo grinned, wriggling his eyebrows, "how was it? Staying the night with Nakiri?" He winked for extra emphasis.

Megumi looked like she was about to faint.

Soma just joked, "I just got lucky her gramps was there to let me stay. I think if it was up to her, she would've left me out in the rain." Soma knew he wasn't a good liar, but he also wasn't one to kiss and tell. He especially didn't feel like going into the details of her rejecting him. He acted as nonchalantly as possible and gave Megumi a reassuring smile.

Daigo and Shoji seemed disappointed about the lack of steaminess from Soma's words. Everyone knew there was friction between Soma and Erina; whenever the two were in the same room, you could cut the tension with a knife. They had hoped to get some insight into whether this was from hatred or love…

Seeing that Soma wasn't going to offer up anything else, they left dejectedly. Secretly, everyone in the dorms wanted Soma to finally be the one to break through the Ice Queen's barriers. They had seen a glimpse of the real her and had accepted her wholeheartedly as one of their fellow Polar Star dormmates. The group knew that it was his doing that had prompted this change within her, and they were constantly rooting for the couple to get together.

Everyone except for the sweet, shy girl who was in love with Soma. Megumi wasn't blind, she could also sense that tension whenever the blonde princess and her favorite jokester were together. Even though Megumi did admire Erina as a chef and friend, she couldn't help but feel envious of her. Soma never looked happier than when he was teasing her or even just talking to her. She also knew about the promise he had made to make her say his food was delicious. Erina was the source of his strength and inspiration, while she was literally just the girl next door.

Megumi went back to her room, contemplating over whether Soma had been telling the truth to the guys. She decided ignorance was bliss when it came to her heart.

* * *

Later that evening, a shiny, black car came by to pick everyone up at the dorm. Alice had insisted on providing transportation since she was almost certain there would be drinking involved. It was a good thing she did, as Ryoko had brought a few bottles of her special rice juice to provide a little extra fun. The group of teens chatted and laughed the whole drive there, finishing their drinks by the time they arrived.

Soma knew Erina and Alice had never been to a place like this, so he explained as they walked through the sliding doors. "Welcome, Nakiris!" He held out his arms dramatically, letting them soak in the view, "This is basically an adult arcade! They have tons of games and prizes and stuff- it's a lot of fun! The 'adult' part is that they serve alcohol, which of course we don't drink." He shot them a wry smile which both girls returned guiltily.

The heiresses looked around the establishment in interest. It was a spacious and dark building with dozens of games closely packed throughout the main floor. The bright colorful lights from each game flashed invitingly against the darkness, as if begging each person who passed by to try them. They could hear the loud bells, sirens, and music from the games after a winner or loser had been decided, along with the cheers or groans from the respective parties. Teenagers and adults were all laughing boisterously, talking trash and egging each other on. There was an area for pool tables and a bar off to the side of the main floor. Nearby was a small stage with a karaoke machine, where a clearly tipsy man was singing off-key and laughing with his friends. All in all, it was not the type of place Erina or Alice would normally have found themselves in.

The friends immediately broke off into smaller groups: Hayama, Hisako, and Erina went off towards the skee-ball machines, Alice and Ryo got into a heated Mario Kart race, Yuki and Ryoko went straight to the bar, and the rest simply wandered off to figure out which machines would give them the most tickets. Soma, the Aldini brothers, and Megumi wandered around until Soma spotted a crane machine. Inside was the cutest plush elephant, and he was immediately reminded of the time Erina had said she'd always wanted to go to Thailand to see the elephants.

He immediately stopped and put in his tokens. He tried three times before his friends had to come back for him.

"Why do you want that elephant so badly, Soma-kun?" Megumi asked. Although she wasn't surprised that he was treating this game with as much dedication and tenacity as he did everything else, she didn't know why it was so important to him that he would waste so many tokens on this.

Soma let out a small sigh and rubbed the back of his neck, "Ah, it's not important. I just think it's cute. Sorry for holding you guys up!"

Megumi stayed back and eyed the crane machine curiously. _Well, here goes nothing. One game wouldn't hurt…_

Meanwhile, Erina was about to break the skee-ball machine. _This is such a stupid game! Why do people do this for fun?!_ She fumed, as she flung the heavy ball wildly at the "100" hole. In reality, it was fun getting to play such a mindless game, and her competitive nature only made her more determined than ever. She decided she was done with skee-ball for now and started to walk aimlessly, stopping occasionally to check out a machine. She spotted Soma, Takumi, and Isami playing a basketball game and watched from a distance. Soma was having the time of his life easily sinking baskets, not seeming to take the game seriously. Takumi furiously raced against the clock, insisting this would be the time he would finally beat Soma. Isami seemed as laid back as Soma, just enjoying his brother and friend's company.

Erina couldn't help but smile a bit when she saw that even with minimal effort, Soma had won. Things just seemed to come naturally to him, but she knew that wasn't true. His carefree attitude disguised the fact that he worked incredibly hard to be the best. She found herself daydreaming again about what had transpired between them, only to be snapped out of it by the source of her conflict waving his hands in front of her face.

"Hey, earth to Nakiri!" Soma laughed.

Erina blinked. She was back in the arcade now, with Soma grinning at her like an idiot.

"I was just asking if you were having fun," he apparently repeated himself.

"Uh yeah, I guess. Are you?" She panicked as she wondered what type of face she had been making as she zoned out.

Soma didn't seem to think anything was off, and responded, "Yeah, I'm having a blast. Hayama, Hisako, and I are actually about to play a round of pool if you wanna be our fourth? Girls versus boys?" His smile was so warm and inviting that she instantly felt her body temperature rise a few degrees.

"Eh, I don't know…" She started, thinking it would probably be better for both of them if they stayed away from each other tonight. She really didn't want to put herself in another complicated situation with this man.

"Ohhh, I get it. You suck at pool." Soma stated matter-of-factly. "It's okay, I guess you can't be good at everything." He shrugged indifferently.

Suddenly, he felt a deadly aura around Erina as she scowled at him. "I'll have you know, Yukihira, I am amazing at everything! You're on!" Her pride simply couldn't allow him to believe she was anything less than excellent. She tossed her long, silky hair over her shoulder and made her way towards the pool table where her friends were.

Soma followed behind her, smiling that his words had provoked her in the way he'd intended.

After everyone had grabbed a cue stick and they'd racked up, it was time to play.

Hayama made a perfect first shot, breaking the formation and sending two striped balls into the pocket. "Guys are stripes, girls are solids," he announced.

He continued once more but missed his shot, allowing Hisako to take her position at the table. She made the shot Hayama had inadvertently lined up for her, and she giggled as he said she should be thanking him. She blew him a kiss from across the table and Erina and Soma were shocked to see such a public display of affection. It was true that they were very reserved people, but to their credit, they were still in the honeymoon phase of dating and occasionally couldn't refrain themselves. Ryoko's rice juice may have also played a part in their PDA.

Soma took over once Hisako missed. He managed to somehow bounce the cue ball twice against the green felt walls and maneuver around the solid colored balls before sinking one of his into the pocket. It seemed the boys were definitely going to win this round, as he sank another particularly difficult shot.

Finally, it was Erina's turn. She approached the table carefully, figuring out the best angle for her shot. Soma misinterpreted her hesitation as inexperience and decided he should give her some helpful tips.

It was just like in the movies. He came up behind her and showed her the correct way to hold the cue stick, all while Erina was internally screaming to stay calm. Hisako's face displayed her evident shock as she saw Soma's face so close to her best friend's. Hayama looked impassive but couldn't deny he was curious as well.

Soma, oblivious as always, had forgotten how their friends had no idea that they had been much, much closer before.

Erina, however, was as red as a tomato. She was so flustered by his proximity that she immediately scratched the table when she hit the white cue ball.

Soma teased, "I'm sorry, didn't you say that you were amazing at everything?"

Erina was absolutely furious and demanded a redo, citing that she was under duress while playing. "It's not fair, you were purposely trying to trip me up!"

Soma couldn't help but laugh, "I was just trying to help you! You seemed to not know where to start!"

"You idiot, that's called _thinking._ Ever heard of it?! I'm going again." She declared as she grabbed the white ball off the table and moved it back to its original position on the table. Her purple eyes dared his golden ones to contradict her. He quickly backed off and let her take her position again.

It was a perfect shot.

"We have 3 pool tables at home." She smirked at his stunned expression as she made her way around to the other side of the table for her next shot. Erina was feeling emboldened-whether it was from the alcohol or Soma's dumbfounded look, she didn't know. But something made her lean over a little more than necessary while taking the shot, giving Soma a perfect view of her impressive cleavage.

Another perfect shot.

Her gaze flicked up to see his face. She had expected to see the same look of surprise he'd worn before, but instead he was staring at her with the intensity a predator stares at its prey with. His eyes were dark, and his upper lip just barely twitched into a smile as she straightened up to take the next shot.

It looked like the game wasn't going to be as easy as he'd expected.

In the end, the girls team narrowly took the victory. Hisako sauntered over to Hayama and he kissed her hand in sweet defeat, while Erina just cocked her head to the side and said, "I told you there's nothing I can't do." Soma just smiled and congratulated her. "You truly are amazing," he said with such earnestness that she had to look away. "But I have an idea if you're up for it. How about we turn this into a competition?"

Her curiosity was piqued. "What kind of competition?" She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the redhead.

"Just a friendly little contest to see who can win the most games." He said innocently.

Erina crossed her arms over her chest and thought, trying to figure out if there was some ulterior motive. Soma looked as innocent as always with his hands in his pockets, and his adorable grin plastered on his face. She couldn't resist.

They shook hands. "Let's do it."

* * *

They played almost every game in the arcade. From pinball, to air hockey, to racing games, they competed in every available game they could get their hands on. Erina had never had so much fun in her life; laughing and competing with Soma was exhilarating and made her feel alive in a way she wasn't used to. She told herself she would have this much fun with anyone, it wasn't just because of this idiotic guy! Occasionally, she would find him glancing her way while they walked to the next machine and she wondered if he was having as much fun with her.

The end of the night was nearing, and they were neck-and-neck. Just one more game was needed as the single tie-breaker. Then, Soma spotted it. Dance Dance Revolution was finally empty and he grabbed Erina's hand and pulled her towards the machine.

"What is this?" Erina stared at the glowing pink arrows beneath her feet.

"It's a dancing game! Don't worry, it's really easy, they show you which tiles to step on and you get points for following the moves." Soma explained, putting in last remaining tokens.

He picked a random song on medium difficulty and the game's bright screen announced READY, SET, DANCE!

The combinations began easy enough and Erina felt confident in her steps as she followed the arrows on the screen. Soon, the music picked up its tempo and the steps became a little more complex. Erina giggled as she watched the over-the-top dance moves of their avatars on the screen, and she couldn't help but feel cheerful as she hopped and jumped along to the beat of the song.

She risked a glance over at her competitor.

Soma had been following the steps as well, but unsurprisingly, he was adding in his own moves! Erina yelled over, "Hey, where are you seeing those instructions?" She scanned her own screen, worried she was missing out on points.

Soma laughed as he nailed a difficult combination, panting "I'm freestyling! Try it, it's more fun this way!"

A few people had begun to watch their game, as Soma was a very good dancer. A random cheer would escape the crowd on occasion in his favor, and this fueled Erina more to beat him.

After taking years of formal dance classes, she found it was easier to improvise on the spot than she thought it would. She added in a few kicks and twirls here and there for extra flair and whipped her hair when she felt appropriate. The crowd ate it up, especially the guys. "Go blondie!" and a few whistles would escape every time she flirtatiously flicked her hair.

The song was almost over, and the points were nearly the same. Erina and Soma were both sweating and worked even harder on their double and triple point combinations, along with throwing in a few crowd pleasers just for the hell of it. Finally, when the song ended, the game declared the winner by only 10 points: SOMA in big gold letters.

The crowd went crazy for both of them as they made their way off, yelling out compliments and giving them high fives. A group of girls had surrounded Soma asking them to dance with them, but Erina broke through the group and said icily, "He's with me." Soma flashed them an apologetic smile as she dragged him away from the adoring crowd.

They were still laughing and wiping the sweat from their foreheads when Soma saw a photo booth. "Hey, let's take a picture!" He pulled her inside the tiny booth enthusiastically and she shut the curtain behind her.

Soma reached in his pocket for tokens but saw that he had used the last of them on the dancing game. He began to apologize for dragging her in for nothing when she pulled out some of her own tokens.

"Whatever, I need to spend these by the end of the night anyways since they're worthless anywhere else," she tried to downplay it, as she put the tokens in.

The camera and wide screen turned on, revealing their messy hair, pink cheeks, and wide smiles.

"Okay, first picture. What do we do? We only have 5 seconds!" Soma pretended to panic while shaking her by the shoulders and Erina burst out laughing.

*Click*

"Ah, look what you did, Nakiri! We wasted our first photo! Second photo should be…a silly one!" He immediately stuck out his tongue and threw up a peace sign and Erina copied him, not knowing what silly face to make. She felt utterly ridiculous but looking at the screen with both of them acting like idiots made her outrageously happy for some reason.

*Click*

"Third picture?"

"Can't we just smile for one?" Erina suggested, and Soma agreed, pulling her in a little closer than necessary and smiling brilliantly at the camera. Erina leaned her head in a little towards his and she smiled a beautifully breathtaking smile as well.

*Click*

"Fourth picture! We have to make it a good one!" Soma exclaimed as he thought for a moment. Erina just waited for his lead as the screen counted down from 5…4…3…2…

Just as the camera shutter clicked, Soma leaned in and kissed Erina on her flushed cheek. The camera perfectly captured her shocked expression along with Soma's unmistakable happiness.

Erina blushed while throwing light punches at him, yelling "Idiot!" while he just laughed and apologized. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to see your reaction! You're so cute when you're surprised like that!" He easily caught her fists with his hands and their warmness enveloped her own.

Her heart rate began to speed up slightly as he began lightly tracing her fingers with his. "Say, Nakiri, I never told you what I want as my prize for winning."

All of a sudden, she was acutely aware of how tiny this photobooth was, how her thighs were pressed against his, and how light his touch was against her palm. She gulped, "What do you want?" She already had an idea, and it frightened her how much she wanted it too.

He leaned in a little as if to tell her a very confidential secret, and said very simply, "I want to give you rides to school next week." He gave her an innocent smile.

Erina was shocked, and if she was honest with herself, a little disappointed. She was expecting something much different… She couldn't keep the surprised look off her face as she said in an unbelieving tone, "That's it? You want to take me to class?"

Soma nodded. "See, I'm a reasonable person. Were you worried I'd make you do something terrible like eat one of my squid creations?" He teased, all the while still slightly tracing her hands and inner wrists.

Erina shook her head and laughed dryly, "No, nothing like that." She broke their eye contact and stared at her shoes as she tried desperately to stop thinking of all the things she had thought Soma was going to request from her.

He seemed to follow her line of thinking, and he smirked. His voice suddenly lowered, and she felt his face come closer to hers. "I know what you were thinking, and you weren't entirely wrong. I didn't really have a plan in mind when I challenged you, but I had a couple of options for prizes. Some were probably like what you were thinking." He admitted, deciding he no longer cared to hide his feelings for her anymore.

Erina froze as she heard those words and couldn't help but blurt out, "So then why did you pick something as simple as giving me rides to school?" She sounded almost offended, and Soma couldn't help but chuckle quietly to himself.

"Are you saying if I had asked for something more you would've done it?" He murmured dangerously close to her. One of his hands had left hers and was now playing with the fringe on her skirt. She could feel his ghost of a touch on her bare thigh and she quivered slightly.

"Of c-course not!" She managed to get out, as her breathing intensified. He was now tantalizing her by tracing his fingers lightly above her knee. _Say something! Make him stop!_ Her brain urged her! All that came out though was a betraying sigh of contentment along with her heavy lids drooping. _It must be the alcohol and all the dancing?_

Suddenly, her phone rang. Grateful that her trance had been broken, she answered the call. Alice was letting them know the car would be coming to pick them up in 10 minutes.

"She said to meet at the bar," she told Soma without looking at him. She couldn't dare get hypnotized again like that. She quickly opened the curtain back to reveal the dark arcade once again, just as they had left it.

"Don't forget our pictures," Soma smiled as he reached to pull them out of the slot. "Huh that's weird, they usually give two copies. Do you mind if I keep it?"

Erina started to object; she wanted them too! She wanted a reminder of this wonderful carefree night with this insufferable, annoying, stupid, adorable, charming, amazing guy. Her pride stopped her though, as always, and she acted as if she didn't care.

They made their way towards the entrance near the bar, where Yuki and Ryoko had just finished their drunken duet. "Thank you and goodnight, everybody! You guys rock!" They stumbled off the stage giggling into the arms of Shun and Isshiki-senpai. "Ah, how wonderful it is to see you all enjoying the splendors of youth!" The latter exclaimed joyfully.

Once the car had finally arrived, its tired occupants slept peacefully the entire ride home. Soma was the only one still awake. He had been thinking about his long-term plan for how he was going to win a certain blonde over.

The car first dropped off the friends that weren't staying at Polar Star or the mansion, as they were on the way home. Once it pulled up to the dorm, everyone had to be shaken awake and they slowly made their way out of the car, sleepily yawning their goodbyes to their friends. Before Soma got out, he whispered in Erina's ear, "Don't forget, I'm picking you up on Monday," and unbeknownst to her, slipped something in her purse. Erina, too tired to respond, hummed in agreement, not even opening her eyes.

They finally pulled up to the mansion near midnight, and everyone was exhausted. Erina made her way to her room and immediately changed into pajamas. She was ready for bed. She fished around in her purse for her cellphone and felt something slippery brush past her hand. She pulled out the two bottom photos of her and Soma from the photobooth. The top was the one of them smiling widely, while the bottom one showed Soma surprise kissing her on the cheek. She laughed at her own expression; she had to admit, Soma was right. She did make funny faces when she was surprised.

Her heart felt extremely light as she gazed lovingly upon the photos, and she decided to tuck them into her diary right next to her photo of her idol, who also happened to be the boy's father.

Erina was too tired to think of how complicated everything would be if they started dating. She allowed herself to dream freely that night of a particular redhead.

Meanwhile, at the Polar Star dorms, someone else was living her worst nightmare, thanks to the same redhead. A poor navy-haired girl with a flower barrette sat on her bed, wiping away at tears that wouldn't stop coming. In one hand she clutched the plush elephant it took nearly half her tokens to get, and in the other, she held the missing twin of the photo strip. _Yes,_ she thought miserably, _ignorance certainly is better than this._


	6. Chapter 6

Megumi woke up on Sunday morning feeling tired after her restless night. She had struggled with her feelings all night, tossing and turning until the sun came up. The pictures were fairly damning. She knew that Soma enjoyed teasing Erina, so it was possible that was all it was. But something in her heart told her there was something more. She decided the only way to know for sure was to just ask him.

She knocked softly on Soma's door and heard him give her permission to enter.

"G-good morning, Soma-kun," she began nervously. "How did you sleep?" She noticed the dark circles under his eyes and speculated he slept as poorly as she did.

Soma smiled and admitted, "I've slept better. Just got a lot on my mind, I guess. You?" He motioned for her to sit on his bed, while he pulled out his chair and sat backwards in it.

Megumi thanked him quietly and sat down. "Is something on your mind? Do you want to talk about it?" She offered eagerly, glad that he had brought it up himself and she wouldn't have to pry it out of him.

Soma hesitated, not sure how much he wanted to disclose. Megumi was his best friend and he wanted to tell her what was going on, but he also wasn't sure if Erina would be upset by him discussing something that involved her as well. The blue-haired girl sensed his reluctance, and asked, "Is it about a girl?"

Soma blinked, caught off guard by her acute observation. He'd always known Tadokoro to be a perceptive and sensitive person, but this was really something else. "Um, yeah actually." Soma laughed awkwardly, a little relieved he had an excuse to talk about it now. "I guess there's this girl who I like, and I think she likes me back. But she doesn't want to date, and it's hard being just friends, you know?"

Megumi knew all too well what it was like being just friends with someone you liked. She simply nodded for him to continue and he went on. "I can understand where she's coming from. She said she doesn't want to be distracted in her last year of class, but where does it stop? Eventually she won't want to because it'll be her first couple of months at her new restaurant, and then she'll be opening her second location across the world. It just seems like the excuses would never stop coming." He ran a hand through his wild hair, looking up at his friend. "I don't know. What do you think?" His face revealed his inner turmoil and pain plainly; he had never been good at hiding his emotions.

Megumi felt her heart constrict a little, but it wasn't out of sadness for herself; it was for him. She wanted him to be happy so badly it hurt. "That does sound difficult," she finally mumbled. "I think you should give her some time to collect her thoughts. It sounds like this poor girl is very confused. But if she doesn't come around, I think you should move on. I hate to see you feeling this way, Soma-kun," her high-pitched voice trembled at the thought of his heartache.

Soma gave her a soft smile and got up from his chair. "Yeah, I'm not going to try to pressure her into anything. Thanks for the advice, Tadokoro!"

She rose as well and smiled back, "Anytime."

Megumi decided to take a walk around campus to clear her head, already feeling better as she inhaled the fresh air and heard birds chirping brightly.

As she walked, she saw Takumi coming out of one of the classroom buildings. She greeted him as warmly as she could, but the blonde could sense something was off. "Is everything okay, Megumi? You seem a little down." He looked down into her golden eyes and saw confusion in them. Something tugged at his heartstrings as he wondered what she was struggling with.

"N-no, I'm fine, Takumi! Thank you for asking!" She babbled nervously, not wanting to discuss her crush with one of his friends.

Takumi crossed his arms and stared at her curiously. "You know, whenever my brother is feeling upset about something, he acts the same way and refuses to burden people with his problems. But I promise you, he feels a million times better once he gets it off his chest." He gazed at her sympathetically, begging her to trust him with his eyes. "Besides, not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty good at cheering people up. You can ask, I have references," he smiled warmly and to his great pleasure, the sweet girl giggled.

"Thank you for your offer," she beamed back. "Really, I'm fine. By the way, I think it's very sweet how much you care for your brother. It's quite clear he thinks highly of you. I think that speaks a lot to your character." She finished kindly, the wind picking up and blowing her blue pigtails.

 _How have I never noticed the way her eyes are the color of sunshine?_

Takumi blushed a little and shook his head, "My brother is a much better person than I am but thank you. I should get going, but my offer still stands. If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you."

Megumi nodded cheerfully and waved goodbye to her friend. She had to admit, she was already feeling a little better after their conversation. Takumi always had a way of making her feel at ease, she remarked casually.

* * *

Monday morning had rolled around, and Erina woke up to the sound of her alarm. She reached her arm out wildly and hit everything within arm's length, just wanting the annoying blaring to stop. She rolled out of bed and groaned as she looked at her reflection. The bruise that had formed on her lower lip yesterday was still prominent. She shuddered in delight thinking of the intense kissing that had caused it and shut the thoughts down forcefully. _Idiot!_ She repeated over and over again as she applied some light lipstick, trying her best to cover it.

Hisako had come into Erina's room, greeting her warmly. "I was wondering if you wanted to ride to class together today? I know I've been a bit preoccupied with Akira," she blushed.

Erina replied, "Oh, I would love that! I feel like we haven't spent enough time together lately. But unfortunately, the bane of my existence won the contest at the arcade and now he's insisted on taking me to school for the week." She still didn't understand why he chose such a chore for himself, but she had given up trying to interpret his actions.

Hisako's eyebrows shot up and she tried her best to hide the smile on her face as she casually commented, "You two sure have gotten close." Erina's head whipped around as a string of denials came pouring out. "What are you implying?!"

Hisako cocked her head to the side and glanced knowingly at Erina. "Please do not try to deny it! I know what I saw on Saturday night. It's glaringly obvious he likes you. Forgive me for saying so, but it seems like you like him as well. You're even wearing lipstick because he's coming to pick you up!" She giggled, noticing her friend's red face.

Erina blurted out, "Only to hide the bruise!"

Big mistake.

Hisako immediately began to panic, demanding to know who would dare hurt her! She had pulled out her phone to call the police, when Erina stopped her. "It wasn't from anything violent…" she muttered embarrassingly, not meeting Hisako's eyes.

Hisako stared blankly. She didn't understand. If her mistress hadn't been violently punched in the mouth, how else would-

"Oh my God! With who?! YUKIHIRA?! I didn't even think you knew what kissing was!" Hisako immediately started squealing and jumping up and down, ranting quickly about double dates and how she knew something had been going on between them.

Erina stopped her mid-rant and shouted, "It doesn't matter what happened! It won't be happening again. Whether or not I feel anything for that dimwit is irrelevant. I can't afford any disruptions in my final year of school." Hisako couldn't hide the disappointment from her face. She didn't feel this mindset was healthy for Erina. _No one is too busy for a chance at happiness,_ she thought grimly.

Just then, a motorcycle's engine revved and the two girls poked their heads out from Erina's balcony to see Soma driving past the gates. Erina picked her bag up off the floor and smiled to her worried friend, "It'll be fine. I have to go. Let's spend some time together this weekend though. I am in desperate need of some girl time!" Hisako nodded and watched as her blonde friend walked a little faster than usual out of her room.

Erina grabbed two pastries from the kitchen on a whim and walked outside.

Her heart skipped a beat as she saw him there on his bike. She hated to admit it, but he always looked hot on his motorcycle. She put on an expressionless face and she exchanged one of the pastries for his extra helmet. Soma grinned, "Thanks, Nakiri! How did you know I had to skip breakfast to get here? You live so far from campus!"

Erina huffed in annoyance as she climbed onto the bike, "That is entirely your fault you don't have proper time management skills; do not blame me for your inability to think ahead in any capacity." Soma was unfazed by her harsh criticisms and just laughed, "Aw, did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Or did you just miss having me in it?" He winked, and before she could choke him from behind, he yelled for her to hold on, and he sped off. She had to wrap her arms around him quickly to avoid flying off, and she loved the sensation of burying her face behind his body to shield her from the wind. Her arms fit around his warm torso perfectly like they were made to be there.

Much too shortly after, they had arrived at school. She was surprised when he offered to hold her books and walk her to class, and she was too dizzy from the ride to decline. All during class, she couldn't get him out of her mind. She thought of the way he smelled and how her thighs felt pressed against his on the bike. Her brain didn't even register the sound of the bell indicating class was over until she saw the rush of students leaving her behind in the empty classroom. As she walked out distractedly, she ran straight into Soma. "Hey! I was just coming to see if you wanted to walk together since we share our next class." He smiled warmly at her, taking her books out of her hands again as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him.

 _What the hell is going on? Why is he acting like this?_ She thought as she let him walk her to class, unable to deny the stirring in her heart.

They had begun talking about their next shared class, which was a conceptual theory class, meaning no actual cooking happened. Everyone thought this period was incredibly boring, as they could only listen to their teacher drone on and on with no hands-on learning. As they took their seats next to each other, Soma continued to complain and Erina chastised him for being such a child.

As class went on, she glanced over to see Soma taking diligent notes. She began to feel a little impressed, but on further inspection he had just been doodling what looked like a dancing muffin. She rolled her eyes and nudged him to pay attention, and he smiled sheepishly back. He drew a little speech bubble of the muffin saying 'Sorry!' and she couldn't help but smirk back.

After the bell rang, Soma and Erina made their way out of the classroom with the other students.

"It's just really hard paying attention when there's no practical lab!" He defended himself. "I haven't been doing so well in that class to be honest." He admitted, earning a shocked look from her.

"Yukihira, as a member of the Elite Ten you are responsible for maintaining at least a C in all supplementary classes." Erina recited, knowing the school's handbook by heart. Soma stared at her, mouth open. "Oh shit, do the other members know that?" He laughed loudly, "I know for a fact that Kuga and Rindo aren't doing so hot in biology and chem."

Erina screamed in frustration, "Why does nobody follow the rules anymore?! That's it, MANDATORY study session with all Elite Ten members next week!"

Soma continued laughing, trying to calm her down. "Okay, calm down! I'll text everyone now. Do we have tutors?" Erina stared haughtily at him, "You're joking, right? Alice can teach chemistry, Hisako can teach biology, and I suppose if I have to I can teach cooking theory." Soma grinned back, already sending his mass text out. "And sent! Next Wednesday it is."

The rest of the day passed by quickly, with Erina seeing much more of Soma than she was used to. Even after her last class had finished and she had made her way to the parking lot expecting to see her driver, he was there with his extra helmet outstretched in his hand. He insisted on taking her home, claiming he wouldn't be a gentleman if he took her there but didn't bring her home as well.

Soma drove home a little slower than usual, wanting to enjoy the feeling of her arms wrapped around him. He talked to her over his shoulder, asking her about the rest of her day. The blonde beauty admitted to feeling stressed about all the things she had going on; there was one particular event coming up next Friday that she still needed to finalize the plans for. Tōtsuki was holding a silent auction hosted by the Elite Ten to raise money for the new state-of-the-art cooking equipment for Alice's Cutting-Edge Cooking RS. Soma remembered the fit Alice had thrown when her petition for the funds had been denied and she'd insisted that they use the full force of the Elite Ten to buy her new equipment. He laughed at the memory as they pulled up to Erina's mansion.

"Well, if you need any help let me know!" He offered kindly, helping her off the bike.

"I don't need help," she retorted instinctively, then feeling embarrassed at her outburst, she murmured, "Thank you, though." She tossed him the helmet and ran to her front door without a second glance back. He yelled from his bike, "See you tomorrow!" _She is so adorable._

And so, the week continued this way, with him picking her up in the mornings, walking her to class and carrying her books, and taking her home in the afternoons. Students had started to notice the former enemies had been spending more time together than usual but said nothing as none of them had a death wish. Erina had to admit the redhead's presence was becoming more comforting than nerve-wracking and she soon became accustomed to having him around all the time. She had also noticed he had become much more considerate of her personal space. In fact, the only time they ever had any contact was on their bike rides. It was almost annoying. Did he not like her anymore?

Friday afternoon rolled by, and after dropping her off for the final time, Soma grabbed her hand and looked her in the eyes. "Well, thanks for going along with this. You are officially free from my dangerous motorcycle," he joked. Erina was surprised at the aching in her heart; she didn't want this to stop. As he was about to ride off, she blurted out, "You know, you never answered my question… Why did you choose this as your prize?" She wanted to die. She was so embarrassed at her bluntness but needed an answer. Soma gave her a confused stare as if it was obvious. He spoke plainly, "I like spending time with you." He chuckled a little at her dumbfounded expression.

* * *

On Saturday night, Hisako approached Erina to tell her she had planned a sleepover that night with some of the girls from the Polar Star dorm and Alice. Erina was ecstatic! Although it was hard for her to admit, she had loved becoming friends with the girls and she always enjoyed their fun conversations.

While Hisako had genuinely missed her friend and just wanted to spend time together, she had also desperately wanted to speak with Erina about her distorted outlook on love and relationships.

When all the girls had arrived, they gathered in Erina's room and Hisako put her plan in action. She brought up the subject casually, deciding Alice would be the perfect catalyst.

"So Alice, when are you finally going to admit you like Kurokiba?"

All the girls blushed and giggled at Hisako's bold statement and Alice just cried out, "Is it that obvious?!" She buried her head in her hands, and even Erina admitted she could tell. Alice turned her red eyes to her cousin and replied, "Hmm, it seems you're much more perceptive to other people's emotions than your own. Maybe one day you'll admit your feelings towards a certain boy we know." Alice smirked evilly, proud of her ability to flip the tables so easily. Hisako smiled internally, glad the conversation had flowed in the direction she'd intended.

Erina shot daggers out of her amethyst eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but IF I had feelings for someone, I wouldn't even act on them." The venom that had been in her voice left, and Alice stopped smiling. "Why not?" She asked genuinely. As much as she loved teasing her cousin, she never wanted her to be actually upset.

"I have no desire to date right now. I have too much to worry about right now without adding on the drama of having a boyfriend. It would be too distracting." Erina avoided eye contact and pulled her knees up to her chest. The light-hearted playful atmosphere had changed as everyone sensed the bleakness in her words.

Hisako reached an arm out and gently placed it on Erina's shoulder. This was the moment she had been waiting for. "You know, when I started dating Akira I thought it would be like that too, but it really isn't. Sure, at first it's distracting because you're young and in love and it's the honeymoon phase." She blushed thinking of the boy she loved. "But just like everything else in life, you learn how to balance. Besides, this person shouldn't just be your 'boyfriend'; they're your partner. They should be helping you achieve greatness, not distracting you from it." All the surrounding girls nodded their heads in agreement, glad that the wise Hisako had been the first to get a boyfriend.

Erina felt so lost; what her best friend said made sense, but how could that be possible when she couldn't even think straight whenever Yukihira was in her presence? How could that inability to breathe be normal in any way?

"I'm so confused," she admitted, laughing dryly. "I've literally never been in this situation before." Megumi couldn't believe Erina had just confirmed Soma's words. Alice teased her cousin lightly, "Didn't you have a crush on a certain chef when you were a girl though?"

Erina groaned, wringing her hands together. "But that was different! That was just admiration for a talented person. He was my idol. I wasn't in love with him or anything!"

Megumi reflected deeply on these words. Was it love or just admiration that she felt for Soma? Maybe it was just a schoolgirl crush on someone who had impressed and saved her all within the first few hours of meeting. Perhaps the adrenaline had tricked her heart into thinking it was something else. She would need to think more on this.

Hisako interjected, "Erina, you will be successful in whatever you do, there's no doubt about it! But as your friend, I just don't want you to miss out on everything life has to offer because you're worried about your future as a chef." Erina nodded, understanding a little bit more. She was very glad to have such good friends, Alice included, she supposed. She felt she was a little closer to confronting her feelings.

* * *

Monday morning came in a flash, and Erina found that she was sad about the prospect of not being taken to school by Soma. After her girls night, she no longer tried to deny the fact that she liked him. She had even forced herself to say it out loud to herself, although it took her about 20 minutes. She brushed her long golden hair and thought she could almost hear the sound of his bike. Wait, was that his bike?!

She poked her head out towards the balcony and saw the familiar motorcycle parked near the front door. He was waving up at her. "Oi, Nakiri! Come down, we're gonna be late!" She ran down the stairs two at a time and pushed through her front door.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, extremely frazzled by his sudden appearance.

Soma grinned awkwardly, "I guess I just started driving here by habit and I was already halfway here when I realized I was going the wrong way. You're not going to make me leave without you, right?" He extended the extra helmet as he had so many times before. She grabbed it all too eagerly and hopped on the bike, hiding her grin behind his body. "Since you came all the way here, I suppose it would be alright." He grinned and squeezed one of the arms that had already found their way around his torso. "But for future reference, it is quite rude to just show up unannounced!" Soma just laughed his annoying laugh and sped off, with her holding on tightly.

They fell back into their comfortable routine easily, until Wednesday.

The morning of their Elite Ten study session, he had taken her to school as usual, but received an apologetic text midday that he couldn't take her home. She immediately began to worry, as it wasn't like the golden eyed boy to skip school. After class, she called a car to take her to his dorm just to make sure he wasn't dying. She convinced herself it was out of polite courtesy than anything else that she should make sure one of her fellow councilmembers was feeling okay.

She made her way through the halls of her former home and knocked softly on his door. No response. "Yukihira?" She asked, before pushing the door open slowly. The lights were off and the curtains had been drawn, causing the room to be pitch black. She slowly made her way towards the bed where she could barely make out Soma's outline. "Hey, Yukihira. Are you okay?" She was feeling more and more concerned about his lack of acknowledgment. He usually had the decency to address her.

She peered down at his face and he looked like he was having a nightmare. His closed eyelids were twitching, and his usually upturned mouth was pressed into a thin line. Against her better judgment, she shook him awake. Soma opened his eyes, the gold starkly shining through the dark. "Nakiri? What are you doing here?" He asked hoarsely, one hand flying to his forehead.

"I was concerned about your skipping class." She tried to sound annoyed, but anxiety slipped through.

"Sorry, I just got a killer migraine and I had to leave. I didn't mean to worry you." He let a small smile slip, knowing his teasing would provoke her. To his surprise though, she wasn't yelling at him. She was digging through her bag and pulling out Advil and some tea bags Hisako had given her for whenever she got her migraines (which was often with all her responsibilities). She quickly boiled some water using the kitchenette in his room and prepared the tea, wordlessly. When it was done, she sat on the bed and handed him the mug with the Advil. "Drink up," she instructed. He stared at her in the dark but said nothing besides, "Thanks." He finished the tea moments later and sank back into the bed. "I used to get migraines like these all the time after my mom died." He said, not really sure why he confessed that. Erina instinctively reached out a hand to wipe the hair away from his forehead and he smiled, pressing his forehead against her palm. She didn't know what to say and instead opted to just sit there in silence with him while playing with his hair.

Erina shifted uncomfortably. _Now what?_

She was alone with a boy in the dark on his bed. Soma seemed to sense her discomfort and he laughed before grimacing at the pounding in his head. "I wish I had the energy to tease you for being alone with me in my room, but I really feel like there's someone hitting my brain with a hammer."

"More so than usual?" She joked back, referencing all his stupid antics he had pulled in the years she'd known him. Soma grinned back at her, eyes closing once again. "You know you love it, Nakiri."

Erina said nothing and just stared at him lying back in his bed. After a moment of hesitation, she groaned, "Move," and shifted him so that his head was in her lap. She began massaging his scalp, as she knew it was the only thing that helped her whenever she had her massive migraines. His surprise turned into audible relaxation, and he felt like putty in her hands. "That feels really nice," he murmured as the hard pressing on his temples released the pressure that had been building all day. She said nothing but continued to massage the sides of his head, working her way down along his neck. She had missed the feeling of his soft hair in her fingers. She turned his head to the side to work it better and yelped in surprise when she felt his warm breath on her inner thigh. "What's wrong?" He murmured, half asleep. "Uhh, n-nothing," she sputtered out, "Sorry." His forehead was resting against her skirt and his nose was barely brushing it. His gentle exhales were tickling her bare thigh, reminding her of the night he had slept over and what had happened last time she had felt his breath on her skin.

She could feel herself getting excited and wanted to slap herself. _What is wrong with me? He's in pain right now and I'm getting turned on?!_

"Are you feeling better?" She asked, begging him to say yes so she could push him off her lap and regain control of her brain.

Soma responded in a cheery voice, "Much better, thanks!"

Erina cleared her throat and gently but quickly removed herself from underneath him. "I'm glad. Will you still be attending the study session?" She asked primly.

"Of course! I can't let my first seat down." He grinned and grabbed her hand as she stood up off the bed. He placed a sweet kiss on her hand, unable to see the flush that had spread across her face thanks to the room's darkness. "I'll drive!"


	7. Chapter 7

They had reached the mansion just in time for the desperately-needed study session. Although Kuga and Rindo were the only other members in fear of getting kicked off the council due to their grades, the rest of the members had shown up after Erina's incessant pestering that this was mandatory. Alice began giving an overview of chemistry, teaching it better than their professor. She went into depth on the different kinds of atomic bonds and the periodic table, drilling them until they knew the basics. Once she felt convinced they had a general understanding, she emphasized how chemistry could change the flavor profile of every single food, barely glancing at her textbook as she spouted off a multitude of facts.

The members frantically took notes as she sped through the topics, feeling more overwhelmed from one of her sessions than their entire semester with their professor!

Hisako had just begun their biology lesson, when Erina excused herself to answer a phone call. They could hear the low murmur of conversation from the other room when suddenly she yelled out an expletive none of them had been aware she knew. Hisako stood up anxiously to go check on her friend when Soma told her to continue tutoring. She nodded, figuring he knew her well enough to handle her at this point.

Soma knocked on the door before entering. "Everything okay in here?" He asked after poking his head in, concern evident on his face. "This doesn't concern you, Yukihira. Go back to the study session," she seethed. Her arms were crossed over her large chest and she was fuming. Soma ignored her demand and walked up to her. "What's wrong? Who was that on the phone?"

Erina's eyes locked onto his and Soma could see the fury and distress swirling around in her. "What's wrong?" She asked in a mocking innocent tone. He had opened the floodgates. "What's wrong is that three of my Elite Ten members are about to get kicked off the council for their grades, I have 4 separate tastings to do tomorrow, and that phone call was the family that was supposed to donate their items for the auction we're hosting in two days. They just backed out and took half their items off the list to sell to a museum instead! So now I have to figure out how to balance all these things on top of finding a new way to make up the difference at the auction." She laughed loudly and bitterly. "And for the cherry on top of this shit show, this whole thing-" she gestured wildly at him and the space between them, "is so fucking confusing!" _Oops._

Soma's face had remained blank as he had listened to her rant but couldn't stop the look of hurt from flickering across his face when she had mentioned him.

He spun her around and began gently massaging her shoulders, saying, "You need to relax." Erina tried to shrug him off; she wanted to be angry, and the perfect sponge to absorb all her anger had just walked in and offered himself to her. His hands were firm though and didn't let her out of his strong grip. "Listen to me," he said, after she stopped trying to wriggle out of his grip. "No one is getting kicked out of the council. That's why we're doing this study session, okay? Alice and Hisako are awesome teachers, I'm sure they'll be able to help Kuga and Rindo." He leaned in closer from behind and purred into her ear, "You're still going to teach me cooking theory, right? One on one lessons?" He smiled as he felt her muscles tense up under his hands and he laughed, moving back to where he'd been before. "I'm joking, Nakiri. Anyways, we'll all be fine so don't worry about that. As for your tastings tomorrow, I'll work with Hisako about rearranging your schedule. Four tastings in one day is excessive, I'm sure they'll understand you can't overwork that God Tongue of yours." Her eyes involuntarily closed as he worked his way down her back, pressing his thumbs along the sides of her spine. She let out a small sigh of contentment as he worked a particularly tough knot with his strong fingers. "I understand why you're freaking out about the auction. That's a tricky problem to solve, but I'll work with Alice to figure out a new plan. We'll come up with a fundraising idea together. After all, this is for her RS." His hands were down by her waist now, digging into the small of her back. She could barely stand and had to let her body lean against his for support. "As for me…. I'm sorry. I hate the idea that I'm causing you all this extra stress." His hands had stopped moving.

He turned her around to face him.

"I never told you about what happened with my dad right? Why he ended up leaving right before graduation?" Erina shook her head, not sure where he was going with this. "He was on a roll, just constantly progressing and becoming this amazing chef, until one day he just couldn't. He lost sight of why he was even doing it in the first place. Cooking had become like a chore he had to do, instead of this amazing art he wanted to create. He became burnt out when he was our age all because of the high expectations everyone had put on him to be the greatest." Erina could relate. Soma continued, "But when he was at his weakest point, he met my mom. He said she was the reason he started to love to cook again. She was his motivation to do better and that was when he finally became himself again."

Soma took her hands in his. "Right before I came here, my old man said the secret to becoming a great chef is finding a woman you want to cook for. I honestly thought he was crazy," Soma laughed at the memory. "But then I met you at my entrance exam. And of course, I wasn't, like, in love with you or anything," he assured her quickly after seeing her stunned face. "I just knew that it wasn't going to be the other students, teachers or even the director that I would struggle to impress. I knew it would be you from the beginning. That was why I made you that promise to make you say my food was delicious."

Erina smirked, recalling that day. Soma kept going, "And now that I've gotten to know you, and we've become friends, that feeling's grown into something stronger. You've become my motivation for everything-not just cooking. You inspire me to be better in every way." Erina's face was bright red. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "…but I guess it never occurred to me that not everyone thinks the way I do. Like the way my feelings for you encourage me, your feelings for me distract you…" He dropped his gaze. "So if that's really how you feel, then I'll leave you alone. I'd never want to be the reason you didn't reach your goals."

"Yukihira, I—"

Erina's sentence was cut off by knocking at the door. She took her hands back and crossed her arms just as Kuga had poked his head in. "Hey, Nakiri, you're up! We're about to start covering cooking theory!" She responded quietly, "I'll be right there."

Soma didn't give her a chance to answer, not really wanting to hear what she might say. He walked out of the study and avoided her gaze for the rest of the night.

* * *

The ride to school the next morning was awkward, to say the least. Erina still hadn't had a chance to say all the things she'd wanted to. She couldn't exactly yell it out in the back of his motorcycle! He hadn't even walked her to class after they had arrived on campus, stating he needed to meet up with Alice to finalize their plans for the next day's event. She was miserable.

Around lunch time, she received a text in their Elite Ten group chat saying there would be an emergency meeting after school. She wondered what they had finally come up with and was overwhelmed with sadness once again thinking of how much he had done for her these past few weeks.

At the end of the day, she met the rest of her members in their council room and began calling the meeting to order. "First item on the agenda: Yukihira and Alice's brilliant plan for saving our auction tomorrow." She ceded the floor and Alice stood.

"Thank you for that wonderful and confidence-inspiring introduction, cousin. Well, as you all know by now, the family that was donating items to our silent auction decided to withdraw half the items, claiming some museum was going to pay for them instead. So, we've decided to utilize the students' talents here to the fullest by asking the heads of each RS to serve a giant dinner. Tickets will be quite expensive, as it's a buffet style dinner of some of the finest up-and-coming chefs. This works out just as well in terms of profit," she explained. "Usually one person per family would participate in the auction, and since there were limited items, not everyone would end up buying something. But this way, each person per family has to buy a ticket for dinner. In addition to the dinner which will provide the bulk of our profit," she clapped her hands delightedly, "we came up with another auction of sorts!"

Everyone glanced around speculatively and asked what items they even had that were valuable enough to auction. "Not what, my fellow councilmembers…but who," she grinned flirtatiously.

 _Oh no._

Erina grimaced, eyes shut closed. "You can't possibly mean…"

"We're auctioning off the 'Men of the Elite Ten'! It even rhymes!" Alice laughed gleefully.

Everyone was in shock. Erina glared at Soma, "Explain."

Soma smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck characteristically. "Well, we started off with just auctioning off our cooking skills, like someone could pay for us to create a meal for them. But Alice thought it would be more fun if it was more of a date? And we figured the girls probably wouldn't want to do it in case some creepy guy bought you." He finished, shrugging his hands.

Erina growled, "The 'Men of the Elite Ten' are not for sale! You should not be prostituting yourselves out for some kitchen supplies!"

At this dramatic statement, everyone burst out laughing. Most of the guys, like Isshiki, Kuga, and Takumi, assured her it wasn't a big deal and they were fine with participating if it meant raising money. Kurokiba and Hayama shrugged indifferently.

"So, we're all agreed then? Do we even need to put it to a vote?" Alice asked, ready to move on. Everyone except Erina raised their hands for the 'ayes'. "Wonderful! Then everyone, please remember this is a black-tie optional event so dress appropriately. Be there tomorrow at 7 for the dinner, and the auction starts at 9." They quickly went over the following items on the agenda and brought the meeting to a close.

Erina cornered Soma as everyone walked out of the council room. "I can't believe you agreed to this."

Soma snickered, "Why not? It's for a good cause, and it'll be fun to see how much we all go for!"

"You're totally fine with going on a date with a random girl just because she paid for you?" Erina inquired harshly, unable to keep the possessiveness from seeping into her voice.

"it's not a date, no matter what Alice says. It's just about cooking a meal for someone. We're just getting another chance to practice our skills! And if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous," he grinned cockily. He was pleased to see her acting this way, since he still hadn't had a chance to talk to her about his sudden confession yesterday.

Erina huffed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "In your dreams, Yukihira. I'll see you tomorrow night. Try to look nice, you're representing our school."

* * *

The day of the auction had finally arrived. Erina had been filled with nerves all day. Her classmates could sense something was up and they did their best to avoid her gaze out of fear of being turned to stone.

Erina walked into the ballroom of her mansion wearing an off the shoulder, tight dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, falling just above the knee. The deep purple jewel tone of the dress brought out her eyes, along with the smoky eye makeup Alice had helped her apply. Her hair was in a slight messy updo, displaying her bare shoulders and milky collarbone. Her high heels clicked on the floor as she marched through the crowd; her looks could literally kill. Her fellow male classmates didn't even bother to pretend they weren't checking her out.

She spotted Alice backstage prepping the items for the auction. Alice was wearing a floor length, strapless black dress with a high slit on the side. Her sleek white hair and pale skin provided an alluring contrast to the dark dress. As soon as she saw Erina, she assured her that she had everything under control and that she should go back to the ballroom as dinner would start soon. Frustrated that she had nothing to do, she left the stage feeling anxious.

That was when she suddenly saw Soma come in. He looked as casually handsome as always with his black jacket accentuating his broad shoulders, and the informal way he'd left the top buttons open made him seem cool and relaxed. His wild hair was starkly juxtaposed with the other guys' slicked back styles. His eyes widened when he saw her making her way towards him, mouth slightly agape. He cleared his throat a little, but his voice still came out husky. "Wow. You look amazing, Nakiri." His eyes wouldn't stop running up and down the length of her body and she swore she could feel his gaze on her skin. She got goosebumps thinking of all the places his hands had been before. "You clean up nicely, I suppose," returning the compliment, straight-faced. He beamed at her. "Can we sit together for the dinner?" He asked her hopefully.

"I think I have to sit with my grandfather…" She stated apologetically. They were both disappointed. She really had wanted to spend time with him. She needed to clear the air between them.

Dinner began promptly at 7. As expected, every dish was incredible. _The heads of each RS have pulled out all the stops for this auction_ , she thought, pleasantly surprised. She spared a glance over to Soma's table and saw that he was laughing with all his friends. She smiled, unable to deny how infectious his happiness was to her. She glanced at her phone and saw that it was almost time for the auction to start. Her stomach fluttered with butterflies as she thought of someone else getting to lay claim to him other than her. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flicker of red walk through the ballroom and step out onto the balcony.

She followed, her legs acting almost automatically.

Soma heard the door open behind him and knew without turning who it was. "Can I ask you something?"

Erina nodded, forgetting he couldn't see her behind him. "Y-yes, go ahead." She said a little later.

He was almost hesitant to ask; part of him didn't really want to know the answer. "Do you feel like your cooking suffered because of me?" He held his breath.

Erina paused, wanting to make sure she phrased her next words correctly. "I think I was more affected by the thought of you affecting me, than you actually affecting me. Does that make sense?" She walked up towards the edge of the balcony next to him, peering off into the distance. "If anything, I think my cooking may have improved," she admitted. She thought about all the dishes she had created in her recent classes, always thinking _What would that idiot do_? or _I wonder if he would like it better this way_. She found that by thinking of him when she was cooking she had surpassed even her own skills.

He turned towards her, unable to hide the joy in his voice, "That's great, Nakiri. I'm really glad you said that. I feel like I should admit that this whole week I was trying to get you more comfortable with the idea of us dating. Taking you to school, walking you to your classes, talking to you more and more about non-council related things." He listed, blushing. "I just wanted you, and all our classmates, to get used to seeing us together with no pressure on either of us. I tried to keep it as "just friends" as possible, but it was hard," he confessed, laughing.

"Ah, that makes sense now." Erina chuckled too. "I noticed you were less 'hands on' than usual. I thought you just didn't... uh, like me anymore…" She trailed off, embarrassed. She began to look down when she felt his hand on her chin, forcing her eyes back up to meet his.

Soma's amber eyes pierced hers as he leaned in and said, "That is the furthest thing from the truth." He whispered seductively, "Keeping my hands off of you was the hardest part about my little plan." Chills ran down her spine. He straightened up, speaking normally, "I just didn't want to scare you off by doing anything like that in front of our classmates. But Nakiri, now I have to ask: do you feel any differently from how you did two weeks ago?" His gaze was hopeful and pure.

After this whole week of having him by her side, publicly as well as privately, she really didn't think she could go back to life before it. He had been right about everything. No one had treated her differently, even as the whole school saw her come and go on his motorcycle and walk through the halls with him. Her cooking had even improved when she had used him as competition and a guide. Professors had praised her latest creations, commending her for her imaginative use of ingredients she never would have used before. Her heart-to-heart talk with her girlfriends had also helped sort out the turmoil inside of her. If her best friend could be in a healthy relationship and still be a kickass professional, why couldn't she?

Erina was about to respond, when she heard someone tapping the microphone on the stage from inside.

Urara Kawashima began speaking, "Hello everyone, and welcome to our fundraiser for the Cutting-Edge Cooking RS! On behalf of our school I'd like to thank you all for coming! Tonight will be a little different than we had initially planned, but trust me when I say you are in for a treat! The first half of the silent auction will proceed as planned with the items in the revised brochure you received. But for the second half of this _not-so-silent_ auction, each of you will have the chance to bid on some special one-on-one time with our very own…Men of the Elite Ten!"

The crowd murmured with interest, especially the females.

"That's right, you can each bid on an evening with one of our Elite Ten Council members who will prepare their best meal just for you!" The crowd was buzzing with excitement at the thought of getting to eat this incredible food. They had been gushing over the dinner they had just been served, and these chefs weren't even close to the level of the Elite Ten!

Erina gave Soma's hands warm squeezes and smiled at him, "You should probably get backstage. We can talk later." He seemed disappointed but nodded, returning her squeeze.

She watched him disappear back into the ballroom. She decided to stay out in the fresh air for a little while longer as her mind wandered to how she was going to answer his question. Erina had never been good at expressing her feelings. She didn't know how Soma continued being so open and blunt with her after all the times she had put him down. She sighed as she thought about what a genuinely good guy he was, and her resolve strengthened as she decided what she needed to do. It wasn't going to be easy though.


	8. Chapter 8

The first half of the auction went by quickly. Maybe it just felt quick to Erina, as she dreaded what was going to happen next.

Urara took the microphone, eager to have the spotlight back on her. "I hope everyone is having a great time tonight! It's time to commence the second portion of our evening: the auctioning of the Men of the Elite Ten!" The crowd clapped eagerly, wealthy wives already pulling their paddles out.

"We'll begin with our 7th seat! Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Takumi Aldini!"

As soon as the handsome blue-eyed Italian stepped out from behind the curtain, the girls went wild. He had built up quite the fan club since the RdC. Takumi waved nervously to the crowd, uncomfortable with all the attention he was getting. Urara emceed as if it were a beauty pageant. "Our blonde 7th seat specializes in Italian cuisine, and he is most notably known for his skill with a Mezzaluna. He is skilled in his ability to fuse Italian and Japanese cuisine! Ladies, you know you want this!" She riled up the crowd unnecessarily as they were all on their feet, yelling out bids.

The black-haired girl began taking bids at a rapid pace like a real auctioneer. Suddenly, Erina saw Megumi stand up at her table and raise her paddle confidently. Urara announced the bid, and Takumi grabbed the gavel from her hand! He declared, "Sold, to the beautiful girl in the back!" He strolled down the stage's steps straight towards Megumi. Her usually pig-tailed hair was loose and flowing past her shoulders, and she smiled widely at him as he stopped in front of her. "Thanks for bidding on me." He smiled kindly, and she returned one of her own. She had realized after Erina's sleepover that she had never been _in love_ with Soma. It was more of an admiration like what Erina had felt for Joichiro. That night, Megumi had forced herself to think about what love meant to her: kindness, safety, home. She thought about the men in her life and realized with surprise when it was the Italian chef who had been her rock during the RdC who made her heart skip a beat. Soma was constantly keeping her on her toes and challenging her, which she loved! But it wasn't the type of love that was right for her. And now that she looked straight into those blue eyes, she felt like her heart had found its safe haven.

Urara just stared dumbly. "Okay, I'm not even sure if that's allowed but let's just roll with it. Anyways," she picked up speed as she fell back into her rhythm, "on to the next one! Our next man up for auction is the 6th seat: Ryo Kurokiba!" Ryo stumbled out, a pair of dainty white hands poking out from the curtains. Erina snorted in her seat, knowing that Alice had just pushed him out on the stage. "Ryo is an expert in all things seafood! His secret skill is his ability to concentrate flavors for maximum impact!" Urara exclaimed excitedly. Ryo muttered, "It's not really a secret anymore, is it?" Urara started the bidding and although it was not as frenzied as with Takumi (many female students were still afraid of his alter ego), it soon got very expensive. "Five hundred dollars!" A voice from the back called, and Urara declared Ryo sold! A sexy brunette in a red dress walked up to the stage to claim her prize. Ryo remained impassive as he walked down the steps to join her at her table. Erina knew Alice must be fuming back there. She made a mental note to go check on her after the event.

The bidding continued with Hayama, the 5th seat. Urara praised his skill in aromatic cooking and cited his acute sense of smell as being similar to the first seat's God Tongue. Erina gasped at her comparison of the two; Hayama was impressive, no doubt, but there was no way his gift compared to hers. Before long, a wealthy looking woman of around 60 bid on him for $750. "Sold!" Urara banged her gavel down, thoroughly enjoying the power she yielded. Erina glanced at Hisako to see how she was holding up, but Hisako was just grinning widely and applauding with the rest of them. _Now that is a healthy relationship. No jealousy, just love._ She was so happy for her best friend.

Kuga, the 4th seat, ended up getting the lowest bid, after he had blown up at Urara for introducing him as 'fun-sized'. Rindo ended up bidding $50 just to save him from embarrassment.

Isshiki, the 3rd seat, went for a cool $800 to another wealthy woman whose husband looked just as enamored with the chef. She wondered what they had in store for him…

* * *

Finally, it was the moment everyone had been waiting for. Soma Yukihira, the 2nd seat, was up for auction. Urara called out his name, and he popped out on stage, grinning and waving charmingly. She began, "Soma Yukihira, our 2nd seat, is the most talented individual up for sale tonight!" Protests came from Hayama and Kurokiba but she continued on, "Prior to his time here he spent 12 years working in his family diner, and has developed his own specialty Yukihira style, which he incorporates in all of his recipes. His specialties include producing food for the masses at gourmet quality and intense creativity in his dishes!" Urara declared. "Let us start the bidding at $200!"

The room fell awkwardly silent. No one did anything. The students knew that something had been going on between the first and second seat, and they didn't dare enrage the feisty blonde. Subtle glances were thrown her way to see if she had lifted up her paddle to bid. She hadn't, and a whisper fell over the ballroom. Soma leaned back and forth awkwardly, not understanding what was going on. _Should I have put on a tie?_

Suddenly, a timid hand shot up. Then another, and another. It was like the dam had broken, and bids came pouring in. No longer fearing retribution, everyone placed their bids in a frenzy, wanting a chance to taste the 2nd seat's food (most girls wanting more than that). The price had risen to $750, and Erina felt her stomach heave with jealousy. _Shit shit shit shit shit,_ she thought as she felt her hand impulsively reach towards her paddle. Her arm shot up without thinking and Urara announced the new bid. Soma's eyes widened as he saw who it had been, and he beamed at her. He was tempted to grab the gavel the way Takumi did but Urara had been guarding it with her life since that happened.

Erina was caught in a bidding war with a purple-haired girl she recognized as a former graduate. She scowled as her arm flew up automatically in response to the other girl's paddle rising. They were up to $950, the highest of any bid that night. "I can do this all night!" Erina yelled out to the girl. Erina's opponent scowled as Erina called out, "One thousand dollars!" Her challenger sunk back into her chair, arms crossed across her chest in defeat. Erina smiled smugly, feeling victorious. _What did I win again?_ She had gotten so caught up in the bidding process, she'd forgotten what the hell she was fighting for.

Soma bounced off the stage and skidded to a halt right in front of her. His bright loving smile was too much for Erina, and she stifled her grin, aware of all the eyes watching them. She grabbed him by his shirt collar and began dragging him out of the ballroom. Normally, the winners were supposed to just bring their chefs back to their designated tables. However, Erina didn't feel like being gawked at all night and she certainly didn't want to have to face any of their friends after that embarrassing display. She continued dragging him until they were well out of sight. She turned to face him, starting to answer his question from hours ago. "Yukihira, I—"

He interrupted her confession and kissed her abruptly.

"You don't have to say it. I know how hard it is for you," he said, after pulling away. Erina was shocked. "Really? But you wanted an answer before." Soma grinned cheekily, "Uh, I think you gave me your answer. You made it pretty clear to everyone." He laughed at the mortified look on her face as she realized what she had done. "Relax, it just confirmed what everyone had been thinking the past two weeks. The worst of it is over!" He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her again, this time more gently.

He was right, and she felt relief spread throughout her body. The hard part was over. She had announced to the world that they were involved romantically. _Now what?_ _What do people in relationships even do? Hold hands?_

"Hold hands?" Soma asked. She had apparently asked this out loud, and Soma leaned in mischievously. His lips brushed her ear as he whispered, "I hoped we could do a little bit more than that." He nipped at her earlobe playfully and she squealed, much to his delight. He captured her lips with his own and kissed her passionately, releasing all his pent up-energy from the last two weeks into this kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening it, completely forgetting where and who she was. Erina pressed her body up against his, wanting to be closer than ever. Her heart felt so light at the moment and she felt that nothing would ever bring her down. They broke away, both breathing heavily, at the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. It sounded like the auction was now over and everyone was exiting the ballroom! She grabbed his hand and they ran around the corner out of sight from the rest of the crowd. She giggled as he pressed her up against the wall and kissed her fervently again. She felt his hands on her lower back and ass, and she wanted more. The blonde reached down and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer than he thought possible. He felt her push against his body with her own, and raw desire overcame him. _This can't happen here._ "Erina," he growled, "Your room. Let's go." She nodded through half-closed lids, still gripping his shirt. She led him down the series of hallways and as they approached the one that looked most familiar to Soma, he couldn't help but kiss her again lustfully out of excitement. His hand found the zipper on the back of her dress and he began pulling. She could feel the cool air touch her exposed skin as he lowered the zipper with every step they took closer towards the door.

* * *

She led him inside and locked the door, feeling him finish unzipping her. She stepped out of the dress that had fallen on the floor and threw his jacket off while kicking off her heels. He pawed at her bare skin and picked her up easily, carrying her to the king-sized bed. They continued kissing and exploring each other's bodies, this time certain they were for each other only. Erina clumsily unbuttoned Soma's white shirt and tossed it on the floor near his jacket and shoes. He moaned in her mouth as he felt her hands reach for his belt, brushing up against _him_. She loved the feeling of her bare legs against his smooth suit pants, and the scent of his cologne was driving her wild. She felt him reach behind her and unhook her strapless bra, exposing her. He began the attack on her nipples that he hadn't been able to continue two weeks ago, licking and biting while Erina writhed in a delicious mix of pain and pleasure beneath his lips. He leisurely inched his hand down past her stomach and she tensed as he waited for any sign of hesitation from her. When none came, he began lightly tracing her inner thighs with his fingertips, going from the left leg to the right, purposely avoiding the area that needed caressing the most. Erina couldn't take it anymore after a few moments of this torture; she groaned as he ran another particularly slow finger up and past her legs' meeting point. "Please, just do it!" What exactly, she didn't know. She had never done anything to herself. She always felt like it was so indecent. She just knew there had to be something more than this. Soma murmured softly, "You know how much I love teasing you," but he obliged, slowly slipping his fingers inside her underwear, stroking her temptingly.

Erina gasped at the sensation. He began to kiss her again while teasing her with his fingers and Erina felt like she would pass out any second from the lack of oxygen. It was as if someone had turned on a white noise machine in her brain; she couldn't think, she could only feel his ardent stroking between her wet legs. Her head was clouded with lust and she could feel something building deep within her. It was so warm it felt like the sun was slowly escaping from her body. "Soma," she breathed in a high-pitched voice. He let two fingers enter her, and she moaned loudly, grabbing his hair and pushing her tongue past his teeth. He continued fingering her at a steady pace and Erina could feel the sweat from their bodies intermingle as her pulse continued rising. She was breathing erratically now, practically panting. Something was happening. It overcame her suddenly, the feeling of a yellow sun bursting through and she released a series of high-pitched moans as her body convulsed around his fingers.

She tried to steady her breathing as he removed himself from her and he smiled down at her. "Idiot! What are you looking at?!" She yelled, wanting to die of embarrassment. "That was so fucking hot." Soma answered, kissing her once again. She relaxed into the kiss and felt him press against her. He wanted her badly. She began to unbutton his pants and as soon as he began to protest, she shushed him with a kiss. Once he was undressed, she couldn't help but stare. It was so different than what she had thought it was going to look like. Soma laughed at her adorable look of shock. She shut him up very quickly as she grabbed hold of him, a growl escaping his throat. She watched his face, mesmerized, by how responsive he was to her hand. She felt powerful. She remembered something Alice had said…

Soma's hand flew straight to his mouth to stop the loud moan that involuntarily escaped him as he felt her hot, wet mouth on him. _Holy shit. Where did she learn this?!_ He continued groaning as he felt her tongue glide mercilessly up, down and around his most sensitive area. He called out her name, as it was the only word he knew now. Suddenly, her tongue stopped, and she shifted back up so that her smirking face was on top of his, her golden hair wild and cascading over him like a waterfall. Soma flipped her over, dominating her mouth with his own. He rubbed himself up against her wet entrance suggestively, and he felt her gasp underneath him. "Are you ready?" He whispered, his forehead resting against hers. "Yes," she murmured, already in a trance. He slowly began to push, and he felt Erina squeeze his arms in pain. "I'm sorry, I know it hurts at first," he kissed her gently. It hurt so much she could've cried. Soon however, it stopped hurting as much and started to feel a little good. His slow thrusting became quicker as she adjusted around him. She craved the friction between their legs as he began to thrust a little deeper and faster. Erina's breathing became erratic again as she matched the rhythm of her hips to his. Soma groaned at her insistence, feeling himself reaching the end. His brain had been completely turned off, focusing only on the sensations he was getting from this woman. He began to grunt loudly, only exciting his partner more. She picked up the pace, determined to cross the finish line with him. She cried out in release as she felt her second wave of pleasure wash over her, mere moments before Soma collapsed onto her, completely spent. They stayed frozen like that for a moment, before Soma rolled off her. "That was amazing," he panted. "I get what the big deal is now."

Erina laughed quietly next to him. "I'm so glad we didn't just hold hands."

He pulled her close to him and allowed himself to say what he'd realized he felt on the first night they kissed. Soma mumbled in her ear, "Erina, I love you," giving her a soft peck on her cheek. She giggled at the light touch and replied, "Yes, well. I assume everyone in the ballroom probably thinks I love you, so…" she trailed off and muttered, "I suppose it must be true."

Soma grinned at her choice of words and sighed, this girl was going to be the death of him.

* * *

 _Months later, after their graduation ceremony…_

Soma poked his head in Megumi's room. "You all packed?" He asked, smiling. Megumi and Takumi were going to Italy for the summer to meet his family and help out in their restaurant. "I just finished!" The sweet girl replied excitedly. "This is your first time meeting his parents, right? Big step!" Soma commented. It had been over 6 months since his best friends had begun dating, and they were an adorable couple. She nodded nervously, "Yes, but I think it will be fine. I am so excited to see the people that raised him." She blushed, thinking lovingly about the blue-eyed chef that had finally seemed to win something over Yukihira.

"Just be yourself and they'll love you!" Soma grinned, giving the girl a quick goodbye hug as he knew she would be leaving any second. "What about you? Are you packed?" Megumi asked as she began lugging her suitcase down the steps. Soma grabbed her luggage from her and responded sheepishly, "Ah, I've still got time!" Megumi stared at him, eyes wide, "Soma-kun, your flight leaves in 4 hours and you have to get to the airport in 2! Please go pack!" She waved her arms frantically trying to grab her bag back from him to send him up the stairs. Soma laughed loudly, "It'll be fine. I'm just gonna throw some random clothes in a bag." He shrugged. Megumi sighed and couldn't stop herself from giggling; he really would never change. She had no idea how Erina was going to put up with him on their backpacking trip. Soma and Erina had decided to postpone opening their restaurants immediately after graduation, wanting to explore all the culinary hotspots in Europe for inspiration first. The backpacking was Soma's idea, although he felt certain that after a week of slumming it, his girlfriend would insist on staying in a 5-star resort.

Megumi stopped in front of the door and smiled warmly at him. "So I'll see you in 2 months? Once you stop in Italy?" Soma nodded, "I can't wait! This summer's going to kick ass!"

She laughed and couldn't help but agree. He saw her to her car and waved as it drove off down the road.

 _Man, what a year._ He thought to himself as he packed his things absentmindedly. _I never thought it would've ended like this_. He laughed as he picked up his favorite framed photo of him and his girlfriend. It was from the night of the auction. All the winners and chefs were supposed to have professional pictures taken as mementos, but since Erina had dragged Soma out so suddenly, the only photo the photographer had time to snap was one of her furiously hauling him by his shirt out the door. She had hated that picture so much that Soma knew he had to frame it. He packed it up with the rest of his things, leaving his room bare. His heart ached at the memories he had created in this room, and his time at Tōtsuki had been the best of his entire life. However, he was ready for the next step, hopefully with a certain spirited blonde by his side.

Just as he had finished bringing his things downstairs, the front door opened and Erina stepped inside in a white sundress, looking as beautiful as always. She gave him a quick kiss and asked, "Ready to go? If we don't leave now, traffic will be a nightmare!" He smiled and assured her they would be fine. He began packing up his luggage in the trunk of her car. It was a bright and sunny day, with the wind gently breezing. "Say, princess, how would you feel about a little competition on our trip?" The golden-eyed boy knew she couldn't say no. He slammed the trunk of the car shut closed. "Whoever wins over the locals in the most countries by mastering that country's cuisine wins?"

Her smirk was vicious. "You're on, diner boy."


End file.
